From 372f4c65c462e51fea1e38a9dea1710b60c7378c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: alifeee Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2024 00:20:29 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] uploaded installing my own VPN on my server was much easier than I thought.md --- ...y server was much easier than I thought.md | 87 +++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 87 insertions(+) create mode 100644 notes/installing my own VPN on my server was much easier than I thought.md diff --git a/notes/installing my own VPN on my server was much easier than I thought.md b/notes/installing my own VPN on my server was much easier than I thought.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8f9fa85 --- /dev/null +++ b/notes/installing my own VPN on my server was much easier than I thought.md @@ -0,0 +1,87 @@ +--- +title: installing my own VPN on my server was much easier than I thought +date: 2024-12-13 +tags: +- vpn +- server +- open-access +--- +I've thought about installing a VPN on my server for a few months. It wouldn't allow the perhaps-more-common VPN use of getting past region-locked content (as I can't change the region of my server), but as an academic exercise, and for other reasons, I gave it a try installing a VPN on my server. + +It was super easy! All I ran was: + +```bash +wget https://git.io/vpn -O openvpn-install.sh +sudo bash openvpn-install.sh +``` + +I accepted all the default settings (IP / UDP / port / DNS servers) apart from username (alifeee), allowed the port through my firewall (which uses Uncomplicated FireWall (`ufw`)) with `sudo ufw allow 1194` (the default port), and a file `alifeee.ovpn` was created. That file was pretty simple, and basically just a few keys, and looked a bit like this: + +```ovpn +client +dev tun +proto udp +remote xxx.xx.xxx.xxx 1194 +resolv-retry infinite +nobind +persist-key +persist-tun +remote-cert-tls server +auth SHA512 +ignore-unknown-option block-outside-dns +verb 3 + +-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE----- +awiohi3hrt7832h8whefiuhy372wjofeijhiu324htwefpjh32ihefjvhguiy238 +28y3tfhunh3278yhiugj3y2iuejgvi32t7uojqwevg7t2ui3egv7i3tu2wegvuit +... +... +3289qewfu8it3j28geu428uhewgimnio23uewgnvdiuw482hj3iegdv98b7suywh +3qw8fu3it2niop9wq8fuvegjny32klqoewiu8bhgjnq3== +-----END CERTIFICATE----- + + +-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE----- +awiohi3hrt7832h8whefiuhy372wjofeijhiu324htwefpjh32ihefjvhguiy238 +28y3tfhunh3278yhiugj3y2iuejgvi32t7uojqwevg7t2ui3egv7i3tu2wegvuit +... +... +3289qewfu8it3j28geu428uhewgimnio23uewgnvdiuw482hj3iegdv98b7suywh +3qw8fu3it2niop9wq8fuvegjny32klqoewiu8bhgjnq3== +-----END CERTIFICATE----- + + +-----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY----- +awiohi3hrt7832h8whefiuhy372wjofeijhiu324htwefpjh32ihefjvhguiy238 +28y3tfhunh3278yhiugj3y2iuejgvi32t7uojqwevg7t2ui3egv7i3tu2wegvuit +... +... +3289qewfu8it3j28geu428uhewgimnio23uewgnvdiuw482hj3iegdv98b7suywh +3qw8fu3it2niop9wq8fuvegjny32klqoewiu8bhgjnq3== +-----END PRIVATE KEY----- + + +-----BEGIN OpenVPN Static key V1----- +8rq328r8ij3fwy73uiwtoeg8u3hiweg3 +38efuiot328yguwhgjovi8u32qwaghhj +... +... +ot3iu7wsaopkijguwthji3qwokijnegh +tiu3eyvjieg93nwjsgkobjhunt3etuhf +-----END OpenVPN Static key V1----- + +``` + +This file was small enough that I was able to copy it in only two screens through ConnectBot on my phone. To install it, I: + +- opened the VPN settings on Linux, where I could import a `.ovpn` file by default +- installed the OpenVPN app on Android which let me import the file +- I haven't installed it on Windows but I'm presuming it's as easy as installing some OpenVPN app + +Since I've installed it, it's actually been pretty useful. I've used it: + +- on trains or in cafés to hide my traffic (I think) +- to download PlatformIO libraries as my ISP blocked the library hosting website inexplicably +- to access , which my ISP also blocks (this post brought to you by: my ISP being super annoying) + +So, if you want to get round blocks, hide your traffic, or other VPN shenanigans, you could create a VPS (Virtual Private Server) and install OpenVPN to it pretty easily. Perhaps you could even get around region locks if you picked a server location in a region you wanted.