---
# System prepended metadata

title: Connecting to the testnet/staging VPN server

---

# Connecting to the testnet/staging VPN server

## Purpose

This guideline is describing a way to connect to the testnet/staging VPN cluster. Purposes of having a VPN server:
1. hiding some private and testing endpoints to be publicly accessible
2. keeping all admin endpoints (including Kubernetes endpoint) as private as possible

## Prerequisites

In order to successfully connect to the VPN server you need:

* [github account](https://github.com/)
* your github account is member of [ethersphere github organization](https://github.com/ethersphere)
* stable internet connection
* web browser
* permissions to install software on your device (if you don't have wireguard already installed)

## Steps

1. Visit https://vpn.testnet.ethswarm.org and click on **OIDC** in login prompt

    ![](https://i.imgur.com/VuJKmd8.png)
    *Figure 1.*


2. If you are redirected to github page (if not go to next step) authenticate yourself and grant appropriate permissions to it: 

    ![](https://i.imgur.com/BiDoJdM.png)
    *Figure 2.*


3. Grant permissions on [dex page](https://dex.testnet.ethswarm.org):

    ![](https://i.imgur.com/7ZfzUN9.png)
    *Figure 3.*

4. In section **Add device** put some appropriate name and click **Add**

    ![](https://i.imgur.com/uEOtvwF.png)
    *Figure 4.*

5. On the next screen you can select which type of device (pc or mobile) you are going to connect to the VPN (marked by yellow). By default it is a PC (*Figure 5a.*). On that screen you can get information on how to install wireguard on different operating systems. If your OS is not listed here go to [this page](https://www.wireguard.com/install/) and install it if needed. After installing the client you need to download the connection file (marked by blue) and import it into your client. If you need connection on your mobile phone switch to that tab and you will get QR code for setting up (*Figure 5b.*).

    ![](https://i.imgur.com/CW1O3gE.png)
    *Figure 5a.*

    ![](https://i.imgur.com/5gSIG3U.png)
    *Figure 5b.*

## Tips

* Please keep you connections on [htpps://vpn.testnet.ethswarm.org](htpps://vpn.testnet.ethswarm.org) updated - remove unused ones.
* If you need to connect to the our testnet/staging kubernetes cluster read [this](https://hackmd.io/N33xr0CrTSGI7Q3RqHFOvQ) 

