Setup guide

Everything you need to get connected — even if you have never used a VPN before. Follow the steps in order and you will be online in a few minutes.

What is this?

bartmann·vpn is a private VPN for family and friends. It gives you a secure, encrypted connection to the internet through one of our servers.

When you connect, two things happen:

Your connection is encrypted. Nobody on your local network — a café, hotel, or airport Wi-Fi — can see what you are doing.
You appear to be in another location. Websites see the server’s location instead of yours. Pick a region close to you for speed, or one in another country to appear there.

To connect, each of your devices needs a small profile file (it ends in .ovpn). This guide shows you how to create one and load it into the free OpenVPN app.

Quick start

The whole process, start to finish:

Sign in to the dashboard with the email and password your admin gave you.
Add a device — type a name (like “iPhone”) and a .ovpn file downloads automatically.
Install the OpenVPN app on that device (free, from your app store).
Open the file with the app to import it, then tap connect. Done.

💡

Each device gets its own profile. Make one for your phone, one for your laptop, and so on — they can all be connected at the same time.

1. Sign in

Your admin creates your account and gives you an email and a password. You do not sign up yourself.

Open the dashboard link in your web browser.
Enter your email and password and select Sign in.
You land on your dashboard, which lists the regions you are allowed to use.

✓

Tip: use the ☀ / ☾ button in the top bar to switch between light and dark mode. The dashboard works on phones, tablets and computers.

⚠

Do not have an account yet, or forgot your password? There is no self-service reset — ask your admin to create the account or set a new password for you.

2. Your dashboard

After signing in you see your dashboard. Here is what is on it:

Regions available — the VPN locations you have been given access to. Each region is a server in a particular city or country.
Your regions & devices — one card per region. Inside each card is the list of devices you have set up there, and a box to add a new one.
Active / Revoked counts — a quick summary of how many device profiles you have, and how many you have turned off.

A device (also called a profile) is one connection — usually one phone or computer. If a region card says “0 devices”, you have not set anything up there yet.

🌐

Do not see any regions? You have not been assigned to one yet. Ask your admin to grant you access to a region, then refresh the page.

3. Add a device

This creates a profile file for one device. Do this once per device, in whichever region you want that device to connect through.

Find the region card you want to use (for example EU Central).
In the New device name box, type a name you will recognise — like iPhone, Work Laptop, or Living-room TV.
Select + Add device. A file ending in .ovpn downloads to your device straight away (for example EU Central - iPhone.ovpn).
The new device now appears in that region’s list, marked as active.

🔒

Keep the .ovpn file private. It is the key to your VPN — anyone who has it can connect as you. Do not post it in group chats or email it around. If it ever leaks, revoke that device (see below) and add a new one.

💡

The file is only handed to you at download time — it is never stored on the server. If you lose it, you do not re-download the same one; you use Regenerate to get a fresh file (the old one stops working).

4. Install the app & connect

Profiles are opened with the free, official OpenVPN Connect app (on Linux, the built-in network settings work too). Pick your device below.

› 📱 iPhone or iPad

Install OpenVPN Connect from the App Store.
Add the device on this dashboard (step 3) using your phone’s browser, or email the .ovpn file to yourself and open it on the phone.
Tap the downloaded .ovpn file and choose Open in OpenVPN (or use the Share button and pick OpenVPN Connect).
In the app, tap Add / Import to confirm the profile.
Flip the connection switch to on. Allow the VPN configuration if iOS asks. A VPN badge appears at the top of the screen when you are connected.

› 🤖 Android

Install OpenVPN Connect from the Google Play Store.
Add the device on this dashboard (step 3) and download the file to the phone.
Open OpenVPN Connect, choose Import Profile → File, and select the .ovpn you downloaded.
Tap the profile to connect, and allow the VPN connection request. A key icon shows in the status bar when connected.

› 🪟 Windows

Download OpenVPN Connect from openvpn.net/client and install it.
Add the device on this dashboard (step 3) and note where the file downloaded.
Open OpenVPN Connect, choose Import Profile → Upload File, and pick your .ovpn.
Select the profile and toggle it on to connect.

› 🍎 macOS

Download OpenVPN Connect from openvpn.net/client and install it.
Add the device on this dashboard (step 3).
Open OpenVPN Connect, choose Import Profile → Upload File, and select your .ovpn. (You can also double-click the file.)
Toggle the profile on to connect.

› 🐧 Linux

Most desktops can import the profile straight into the system network settings:

Install the OpenVPN plugin, e.g. sudo apt install network-manager-openvpn-gnome.
Open Settings → Network → VPN, select add, then Import from file and choose your .ovpn.
Turn the VPN on from the network menu.

Prefer the terminal? Install openvpn and run sudo openvpn --config your-profile.ovpn.

✓

To check it worked, search “what is my IP” in a browser while connected — it should show the region’s location, not your own.

Managing your devices

Multiple devices and regions

Add as many devices as you like, and set up the same device in more than one region. To switch where a device appears, just connect using that region’s profile in the app.

Regenerate a profile

Lost the file, or it stopped working? Select ↻ Regenerate next to the device. This creates a brand-new .ovpn and downloads it. Important: the old file immediately stops working, so re-import the new one into the app.

Revoke a device

If a device is lost or stolen, select Revoke. It is disconnected within a few minutes and can never reconnect with that profile. Your other devices are unaffected.

Expiry

Each profile has an Expires date. When it passes, the profile stops working — just Regenerate it to get a fresh one.

Troubleshooting

The app says it cannot connect

Check you have a working internet connection without the VPN first.
Make sure the profile has not expired (check the Expires date on the dashboard).
If it recently expired or you regenerated it, import the latest .ovpn and delete the old one in the app.

It connects but websites do not load

Disconnect and reconnect.
Try a different region if you have access to more than one.
On a restrictive network (some workplaces), VPNs may be blocked — try another network.

I deleted or lost the file

No problem — select ↻ Regenerate on the dashboard to download a fresh profile, then import it again.

Still stuck?

Contact your admin with the device name and region, and what the app shows when it fails.

FAQ

How many devices can I connect at once?

As many as you set up — each device has its own profile, and they can all be connected simultaneously.

Is my browsing private from the VPN itself?

The VPN hides your traffic from your local network and gives you the server’s location. It is run by your admin within the family/friends group — treat it as private among that group, not anonymous to the wider internet.

Do I need to stay connected all the time?

No. Turn the VPN on when you want its protection (for example on public Wi-Fi) and off when you do not. Your apps and websites work the same either way.

Can I use one profile on two phones?

Please do not — create one profile per device. Sharing a single profile can cause both connections to drop. It is also safer: you can revoke one device without affecting the other.

Will the VPN slow down my internet?

A little, since traffic takes a detour through the server. Choosing a region close to you keeps it fast.

Ready to start?