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For a standard OpenVPN Community server, allow and forward UDP port 1194 to the VPN host. If your configuration uses TCP, allow the configured TCP port instead. OpenVPN Access Server commonly provides TCP 443 as a fallback listener, while TCP 943 is normally reserved for its Admin and Client Web UIs—not for the VPN tunnel.
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The correct rule is not simply “open 1194.” The server’s protocol and port, client profile, host firewall, cloud security group, and any router or NAT gateway must all agree. A port opened only on the server is not reachable when the server sits behind NAT.
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The standard OpenVPN port
OpenVPN Community installations use UDP 1194 by default. The official configuration guide’s sample server creates a routed TUN VPN and listens for client connections on UDP 1194. The OpenVPN 2.4 manual also documents an incoming-firewall rule for UDP 1194 and notes that using one UDP port is relatively firewall-friendly. See the official configuration guide and OpenVPN 2.4 manual.
1194 is the official IANA assignment recorded in the OpenVPN 2.7 manual, but it is a default, not a mandatory port. OpenVPN can listen on any port from 1 through 65535 when the server and clients are configured consistently, as described in the community getting-started documentation.
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UDP 1194 versus TCP
OpenVPN supports both transports, but they are different listeners. A client configured for UDP cannot connect to a server listening only for TCP on the same numeric port, and the reverse is also true. The protocol and port must match in every layer.
| Transport | Typical port | When it is used | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| UDP | 1194 | Default for OpenVPN Community deployments | Usually the preferred OpenVPN transport; allow UDP, not TCP, in the firewall. |
| TCP | Configured value; Access Server commonly offers 443 | When UDP is blocked or unusable on a particular network | The server and client must both select TCP. The 443 value is a fallback listener, not a universal OpenVPN requirement. |
| Custom UDP or TCP | Any port 1–65535 | Port-planning, policy, or collision avoidance | Change the server, client, host firewall, edge forwarding, and cloud rules together. |
The OpenVPN 2.7 documentation describes TCP as an option when UDP cannot be used, while cautioning that TCP is generally less efficient and less robust on unreliable or congested networks. Selecting TCP solely because a familiar number is available does not make the tunnel equivalent to UDP.
What the server configuration controls
In a server configuration, proto udp selects UDP and port 1194 selects the default listener. To use TCP, configure the server with the TCP protocol and the chosen port, then distribute client profiles containing the same transport and destination. The official configuration guide explains that running UDP and TCP simultaneously requires two separate OpenVPN instances; changing one instance does not create a second listener automatically.
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Access Server has separate tunnel and web ports
OpenVPN Access Server uses a documented default layout with separate VPN-daemon and web-service listeners. Its daemon tutorial lists UDP 1194 and TCP 443 as VPN listeners and shows that both are configurable. Its web-services tutorial identifies TCP 943 for the Admin and Client Web UIs. Consult the daemon ports tutorial and web-services ports tutorial for the version-specific interface.
| Access Server port | Role in the documented default layout | Should it be opened for the VPN tunnel? |
|---|---|---|
| UDP 1194 | VPN daemon listener | Yes, when UDP is enabled on that port. |
| TCP 443 | VPN daemon TCP fallback listener | Yes only when TCP VPN access is enabled there. |
| TCP 943 | Admin and Client Web UIs | No for the tunnel itself. Open it only when web-service access is required. |
Access Server commonly uses TCP 443 for VPN fallback because simpler firewalls often permit traffic associated with HTTPS. That convenience does not turn the listener into a web server, nor does it eliminate the need to configure the Access Server daemon and client profile correctly. TCP 943 remains a separate web-service port and should be restricted to trusted administration ranges where practical.
How to open the port correctly
Use this sequence for a new deployment or a port change. It prevents the common mistake of opening a port in one place while another network layer still drops it.
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- Read the active OpenVPN settings. Confirm the server’s
protovalue andportvalue. Record whether the listener is UDP or TCP and whether the service uses the default 1194 or a custom number. For Access Server, check the daemon and web-service settings separately. - Permit the exact protocol and port on the VPN host. Add an inbound rule to the operating system firewall for the selected combination, such as UDP 1194. A TCP rule does not permit UDP traffic, even when both rules use the number 1194. Apply the rule to the interface and address where OpenVPN listens.
- Forward the public port when NAT is present. On a home router, perimeter firewall, or other gateway, create a destination-NAT or port-forward rule from the public listener to the OpenVPN host’s fixed internal address. Forward the same external protocol and port unless you intentionally use a documented port translation.
- Add the cloud-network rule. In a cloud deployment, allow the same protocol and port in the instance security group, network security list, or virtual network firewall. A host-firewall rule cannot override a cloud rule that drops the packet earlier.
- Match the client profile. The client’s
remotedestination, port, and protocol must identify the public address and listener that users can actually reach. If you changed from UDP 1194 to TCP 443, issue or edit profiles accordingly; leavingudpand 1194 in the client profile will continue sending the wrong traffic. - Test from outside the protected network. Test over a different internet connection, such as a mobile hotspot. Testing from inside the same LAN can be misleading when the router does not support NAT loopback. Check the OpenVPN server log and the edge-firewall log together so you can distinguish an arriving packet from a rejected or misrouted one.
Default and custom configuration examples
A minimal conceptual pairing looks like this:
- Server:
proto udpandport 1194. - Client: a
remoteentry pointing to the server’s public address, port 1194, and UDP transport.
For a custom TCP listener, the corresponding settings use TCP and the chosen number on both ends:
- Server:
proto tcpand the selected TCP port. - Client: a
remoteentry specifying that same public address, port, and TCP transport.
The exact configuration-file syntax can vary by OpenVPN release and by Access Server’s profile generator, so use the directives exposed by your installed version rather than copying a rule intended for a different release. The community documentation confirms that omitting a port falls back to 1194, while explicitly setting another value changes the listener.
Direct public address versus NAT
Server with a public address
If the OpenVPN host owns the public address directly, there is no home-router port-forward step. You still need the host firewall, any upstream provider firewall, and the client profile to allow the same protocol and port. In a cloud, the provider’s network policy remains a separate checkpoint.
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Server behind a router or perimeter firewall
Forward the selected public listener to the server’s private address. Give the server a stable DHCP reservation or static address so the rule does not silently point to another device after a lease change. The VPN Server Behind Firewall guide covers the general forwarding arrangement.
Do not forward only TCP because a browser can reach the router on TCP. If the OpenVPN daemon is configured for UDP 1194, the edge rule must carry UDP 1194 to the internal host. Conversely, a TCP listener requires TCP forwarding.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Common mistakes and how to diagnose them
The server firewall allows 1194, but clients time out
- Verify whether the rule is UDP or TCP. A port number without a protocol is incomplete.
- Check the router or perimeter gateway for a matching forward to the correct private address.
- In cloud environments, inspect the security group or network-firewall rule before changing the host firewall.
- Confirm that the client uses the gateway’s public address rather than an internal address that is unreachable from the internet.
The client reaches the host but the TLS connection never completes
- Check that the client profile’s protocol and port match the active server instance.
- Ensure the profile was regenerated or edited after a port change.
- Look for a second service already occupying the selected port. If you need both UDP and TCP, run separate OpenVPN instances as documented rather than assigning two protocols to one instance.
Access Server’s web page works, but the VPN does not
Web access proves only that the web-service port is reachable. TCP 943 is the documented Admin and Client Web UI port; it is not proof that the VPN daemon is listening on UDP 1194 or TCP 443. Check the daemon listeners independently and open the tunnel port required by the client profile.
Users can connect on one network but not another
This often indicates an outbound filtering policy on the client’s network. If UDP is blocked, an Access Server deployment may offer TCP 443 as a fallback, provided that listener is enabled and clients have a TCP profile. TCP is a transport fallback, not a guarantee that every captive portal or proxy will pass VPN traffic.
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| Deployment situation | Practical starting choice | What must be verified |
|---|---|---|
| OpenVPN Community server with normal internet access | UDP 1194 | UDP rule on the host, matching client profile, and any NAT or cloud rule. |
| Network blocks or interferes with UDP | Configured TCP listener; Access Server commonly uses TCP 443 | TCP enabled on the server and client, with the selected TCP port allowed end to end. |
| Port conflict or internal policy requires another number | Any available port from 1 through 65535 | Every configuration and forwarding layer changed to the same protocol and number. |
| Access Server administration through its web UI | TCP 943 in the documented default layout | Restrict access appropriately; do not confuse this web port with the VPN tunnel listener. |
| Server behind a home or enterprise gateway | The configured listener forwarded to the VPN host | Stable internal address, correct protocol, and testing from outside the LAN. |
Security and maintenance checks
- Expose only the listener ports you actually use. If TCP fallback is disabled, there is no reason to publish its port.
- Treat the web-service port separately from the tunnel. When TCP 943 is needed, limit it to trusted source ranges where the deployment allows that policy.
- Document the public port, internal destination, protocol, and owner. This avoids accidental deletion of a rule during router or cloud-firewall changes.
- After upgrades or profile regeneration, verify that the configured listeners did not change. Access Server and community deployments expose different management interfaces even when they use the same underlying OpenVPN protocol.
For most installations, the actionable answer remains simple: open UDP 1194 to the OpenVPN server. Use TCP only when the deployment is configured for it, use TCP 943 only for Access Server web services, and remember that a NAT or cloud gateway must pass the same listener before the host can receive a connection.
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