GVPN - VPN Manager with Tray Icon

A minimal C# 4.8 / .NET Framework Windows Forms application that provides VPN management with a system tray icon and kill switch functionality.

0.0.4 (current)

GVPN now connects through the bundled OpenVPN 2.7.9 client to public VPNGate servers. Older sections below that mention L2TP/IPSec, rasdial or "MyVPN" describe 0.0.3 and earlier.

• Run: download GVPN.exe (single file, ~7 MB) and start it. It asks for administrator rights: OpenVPN needs them to set up the adapter and routes.
• First run: unpacks the embedded OpenVPN client and TAP-Windows6 driver to C:\Program Files\GVPN\openvpn (admin-only folder; files are re-checked against the embedded copy on every start), installs the driver, creates the "GVPN TAP" adapter, and registers an elevated sign-in task "GVPN" so it starts automatically afterwards.
• Servers: reads the VPNGate list and each server's own OpenVPN config. Configs are rebuilt from an allowlist, so a hostile volunteer server cannot run scripts or plugins.
• Kill switch: one Windows Firewall rule blocks traffic on physical adapters except to the current VPN server. It stays on through crashes and restarts; tray Exit turns it off.
• Logs: %APPDATA%\Sentinel\GVPN\vpn.log (tray > View Logs).
• Remove: GVPN.exe --uninstall (as administrator) removes the kill switch rule, the sign-in task, the adapter and C:\Program Files\GVPN, then delete GVPN.exe.
• Build: .\build.ps1 (dev) or .\build.ps1 -Release (creates releases\<version>\; version from AssemblyInfo.cs).

Features

• System Tray Icon - Minimalist UI that lives in the taskbar
• Auto-setup - Automatically creates VPN connection on first run
• Auto-reconnect - Automatically fetches the closest VPN server and maintains connection
• Kill Switch - Blocks ALL traffic if VPN disconnects (firewall-based)
• Status Monitoring - Real-time VPN status indicator (green = connected, red = disconnected)
• Manual Connect/Disconnect - One-click VPN operations
• Logging - Detailed logs saved to vpn.log
• Lightweight - Single 30 KB executable with no external dependencies

Requirements

• Windows 7 or later
• .NET Framework 4.8

Installation & Usage

Just run GVPN.exe - that's it!

GVPN.exe

First run:

• Right-click PowerShell.exe → "Run as Administrator"
• Run GVPN.exe from the admin shell
• GVPN automatically creates the "MyVPN" L2TP/IPSec VPN connection
• Takes ~2-3 seconds on first launch
• After that, no admin needed

After setup:

• GVPN minimizes to system tray
• Automatically connects to the closest VPN Gate server
• Monitors connection every 30 seconds
• Auto-reconnects to a different server if disconnected

Usage

Tray Icon Menu

Right-click the tray icon to access:

• Status - Shows current connection status
• Connect Now - Manually connect to the closest VPN
• Disconnect - Disconnect from VPN
• Kill Switch - Blocks ALL outbound traffic using Windows Firewall (prevents data leaks if VPN drops)
• View Logs - Open vpn.log in default editor
• Exit - Close application gracefully

Double-Click Tray Icon

Shows a popup with current connection status.

Configuration

Edit these constants in VpnManager.cs if needed:

private const string VpnName = "MyVPN";      // Name of VPN connection
private const string VpnUser = "vpn";        // VPN username (hardcoded for VPNGate)
private const string VpnPass = "vpn";        // VPN password (hardcoded for VPNGate)

VPN Servers

The application fetches public VPN servers from:

• Source: https://www.vpngate.net/api/iphone/
• Selection: Automatically selects the server with the lowest ping (closest to you)
• Credentials: Always vpn / vpn (VPNGate public credentials)

Logs

Application logs are saved to vpn.log in the working directory with entries like:

2026-11-07 14:23:45 - Application started
2026-11-07 14:23:46 - Checking if MyVPN connection exists...
2026-11-07 14:23:47 - MyVPN connection created successfully
2026-11-07 14:23:50 - Selected VPN: 158.217.184.31 (JP, ping: 1ms)
2026-11-07 14:23:52 - Connected to 158.217.184.31

Architecture

• Program.cs - Entry point, creates main form
• VpnTrayApplication.cs - Main form with tray icon UI and monitoring loop
• VpnManager.cs - Handles all VPN operations (create, connect, disconnect, status, fetch servers)
• Logger.cs - Thread-safe logging utility

Build

cd E:\Gorstak\GVPN
.\build.ps1

Or compile manually with csc:

csc /target:winexe /out:bin\Release\GVPN.exe `
  /reference:System.dll /reference:System.Windows.Forms.dll /reference:System.Drawing.dll `
  Program.cs VpnTrayApplication.cs VpnManager.cs Logger.cs

Compilation Details

• Language: C# 5.0
• Framework: .NET Framework 4.8
• Output Type: Windows Executable (WinExe)
• References: System, System.Core, System.Windows.Forms, System.Drawing
• Compiler: csc.exe (C# Compiler from Visual Studio)

Known Limitations

• Windows only (uses rasdial.exe for VPN operations)
• Kill switch blocks outbound traffic when failover fails; doesn't create persistent blocks
• VPN credentials hardcoded (VPNGate always uses vpn/vpn)
• Requires first run as Administrator (to create VPN connection)

Legal Disclaimer

IMPORTANT - READ BEFORE USE

GVPN is provided as-is for educational and personal use only. By using this software, you agree to the following:

Usage Restrictions

• Use GVPN only on systems you own or have explicit permission to use
• Do NOT use GVPN to circumvent security measures, firewalls, or access controls that you are not authorized to bypass
• Do NOT use GVPN for any illegal activities, including but not limited to:
  • Unauthorized access to computer systems
  • Copyright infringement or piracy
  • Fraud, hacking, or cybercrime
  • Evading law enforcement
  • Harassment or attacks on others
  • Any activity that violates local, state, or international laws

No Warranty

• This software is provided without any warranty, express or implied
• The author is not responsible for:
  • Data loss or corruption
  • Network issues or connection problems
  • VPN disconnections or reconnection failures
  • Any damage caused by use or misuse of this software
  • Any liability arising from your use of this software

Liability

• You are solely responsible for your use of GVPN
• The author assumes no liability for:
  • Any loss of privacy or exposure of data
  • Regulatory violations or legal consequences
  • System damage or downtime
  • Third-party claims

VPN & Privacy

• Using a VPN does not guarantee anonymity or privacy
• VPN providers may log your activity (check their privacy policy)
• Your ISP may still see that you're using a VPN
• Kill switch can fail; never rely on it as your only protection
• No tool can provide 100% privacy - use responsibly and legally

Age Restriction

• You must be at least 18 years old (or the legal age of majority in your jurisdiction) to use this software

Compliance

• You are responsible for complying with:
  • All local, state, and national laws
  • Your ISP's terms of service
  • Your employer's or organization's policies
  • The laws of countries whose services you access
  • VPN provider's terms of service

No Support for Illegal Activity

• The author does not condone, endorse, or support any illegal use
• Misuse of this software may result in:
  • Criminal prosecution
  • Civil liability
  • Permanent bans from services
  • Legal consequences

By downloading and using GVPN, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to these terms.

If you do not agree with any of these terms, do not use this software.

Troubleshooting

"Connection attempt timed out" in logs

This means:

• GVPN created MyVPN correctly ✓
• It's trying to connect to a VPNGate server
• But the connection timed out after 10 seconds

Causes:

• Network can't reach VPNGate servers (firewall, ISP, region blocking)
• ISP blocks L2TP protocol
• All 5 selected servers are unreachable or rejecting connections
• VPNGate service is down in your region

Solutions:

• Try running GVPN again (different servers might be available)
• Check if you can access https://www.vpngate.net in your browser
• Check with your ISP if they allow L2TP/IPSec VPN protocols
• If blocked, you may need a different VPN protocol or service
• Try disabling any antivirus/firewall temporarily

"MyVPN connection NOT FOUND" in logs

• Make sure you ran GVPN.exe as Administrator on first launch
• Right-click PowerShell.exe → "Run as Administrator"
• Then run GVPN.exe again

Application won't start

• Verify .NET Framework 4.8 is installed
• Try running from Command Prompt to see error messages
• Check Windows Event Viewer for errors

VPN server fetch fails

• Verify internet connection (GVPN needs internet to fetch server list)
• Try accessing https://www.vpngate.net in your browser
• VPN Gate may be blocked in your region

Kill switch not working

• Ensure you have administrator privileges
• Check Windows Firewall is enabled
• Review vpn.log for netsh errors

License

Public Domain - Use freely