vpn-monitor 1.1.0

Monitors Windows App and enforces VPN usage.

VPN Monitor

A Windows background application that monitors specific "Windows App" processes (e.g., msrdc.exe, Windows365.exe) and enforces VPN usage by checking the current region.

Features

• Process Monitoring: Detects if msrdc.exe or Windows365.exe has a visible window
• Region Check: Verifies if the current public IP is in the allowed country (default: HU) via ip-api.com
• Allowed IPs: Supports an optional list of allowed external IPs that bypass the country check
• Warning System: Displays a custom, topmost warning window if the region is incorrect while the target app is running
• System Tray Integration:
  • Snooze functionality (5m, 15m, 1h, 8h)
  • Set Allowed Country (hidden when allowed_ips.txt exists)
  • Exit
• Startup Integration: Can register itself to run at Windows startup
• Continuous Monitoring: Checks VPN status every 5 seconds

Security & Verification

We take security seriously. All releases are signed using Sigstore and include SLSA build provenance. 👉 Read how to verify the executable

Installation

Option 1: Install from PyPI (Recommended)

pip install vpn-monitor

Then run:

vpn-monitor

Option 2: Install from Source

Prerequisites: Python 3.8 or higher

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/henrykp/vpn_status_monitor.git
   cd vpn_status_monitor
   

2. Install the package:

   pip install -e .
   

3. Run the application:

   python run.py
   

   Or use the installed script:

   vpn-monitor
   

Option 3: Download Pre-built Executable

Download the latest .exe file from the Releases page. No Python installation required.

Usage

Running the Application

Run from source:

python run.py

Or if installed via pip:

vpn-monitor

The application runs in the background and appears as a shield icon in the system tray.

Command Line Arguments

• --install-startup: Registers the app to run on Windows startup
• --remove-startup: Removes the app from Windows startup
• --help: Show help message

Example:

python run.py --install-startup

Configuration

Allowed Country

The default allowed country is HU (Hungary). You can change this via:

1. System Tray Menu: Right-click the tray icon → "Set Country..." → Enter 2-letter country code (e.g., US, DE, FR)
2. Environment Variable: Set ALLOWED_COUNTRY before running:

   set ALLOWED_COUNTRY=US
   python run.py
   

Allowed IPs (Bypass)

You can create a file named allowed_ips.txt in the same directory as the executable (or run.py). Add one IP address per line. If your current external IP matches any IP in this list, the warning will be suppressed regardless of your country.

Note: When allowed_ips.txt exists, the "Set Country..." option is hidden from the tray menu.

Example allowed_ips.txt:

203.0.113.1
198.51.100.2
192.0.2.10

How It Works

1. Process Detection: Every 5 seconds, the application checks if msrdc.exe or Windows365.exe has a visible window
2. Network Check: If a target process is running, it queries ip-api.com to determine your current public IP and country
3. Safety Validation:
   • First checks if your IP is in allowed_ips.txt (if the file exists)
   • Then verifies your country code matches the allowed country
4. Warning Display: If the region doesn't match (and IP is not in the allowed list), a topmost warning window appears

Building Executable

To build a standalone .exe file:

1. Install PyInstaller:

   pip install pyinstaller
   

2. Build the executable:

   pyinstaller --noconsole --onefile --name vpn-monitor run.py
   

3. Find the executable: The output will be in the dist/ folder as vpn-monitor.exe

Project Structure

vpn_status_monitor/
├── vpn_monitor/          # Main package
│   ├── __init__.py
│   ├── main.py          # Entry point and CLI
│   ├── monitor.py       # Process and network monitoring
│   ├── gui.py           # Warning window and dialogs
│   └── tray.py          # System tray icon
├── tests/               # Test suite
├── run.py               # Convenience script to run from source
├── pyproject.toml       # Package configuration and dependencies
├── requirements-dev.txt # Development dependencies
└── README.md            # This file

Development

See CONTRIBUTING.md for detailed development guidelines.

Quick Start for Developers

1. Clone and set up:

   git clone https://github.com/henrykp/vpn_status_monitor.git
   cd vpn_status_monitor
   python -m venv venv
   .\venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1  # Windows PowerShell
   pip install -e .
   pip install -r requirements-dev.txt
   

2. Install pre-commit hooks:

   pre-commit install
   pre-commit install --hook-type commit-msg
   

3. Run tests:

   pytest
   

Releasing a New Version

This project uses setuptools-scm — the version is automatically derived from git tags.

To release a new version:

git tag v1.0.0
git push --tags

Pushing the tag triggers the release workflow, which:

• Builds the Windows executable
• Builds and publishes the Python package to PyPI
• Creates a GitHub release with the executable and changelog

The package version is automatically set based on the tag (e.g., tag v1.0.0 → version 1.0.0).

Troubleshooting

Warning Window Doesn't Appear

• Ensure the target process (msrdc.exe or Windows365.exe) has a visible window
• Check that you're connected to the internet (the app needs to query ip-api.com)
• Verify your current IP country doesn't match the allowed country

"Set Country" Option Not Visible

This option is hidden when allowed_ips.txt exists in the application directory. Delete or rename the file to restore the option.

Application Doesn't Start at Boot

• Manually run with --install-startup flag:

  python run.py --install-startup
  

• Check Windows Startup folder or Registry (HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run)

Network Check Fails

• Ensure you have an active internet connection
• The app uses ip-api.com which has rate limits (45 requests/minute for free tier)
• If network check fails, the app assumes "safe" to avoid blocking legitimate use

Security Considerations

• The application queries external services (ip-api.com) to determine your location
• No data is transmitted except your public IP address
• The allowed_ips.txt file is stored locally and not encrypted
• The application requires network access to function

Known Limitations

• Windows Only: This application only works on Windows due to its use of Windows-specific APIs
• Process-Specific: Currently monitors only msrdc.exe and Windows365.exe
• Internet Dependency: Requires internet connection to check IP/region
• Rate Limits: ip-api.com has rate limits that may affect frequent checks

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please see CONTRIBUTING.md for details.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Links

• Homepage: https://github.com/henrykp/vpn_status_monitor
• Repository: https://github.com/henrykp/vpn_status_monitor
• Issues: https://github.com/henrykp/vpn_status_monitor/issues
• PyPI Package: https://pypi.org/project/vpn-monitor/

Support

If you encounter any issues or have questions:

1. Check the Troubleshooting section
2. Search existing Issues
3. Create a new Issue if your problem isn't already reported