VPN Primer for Noobs

What VPN Solution are you using?


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The Automation Guy

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By the way, which of the vpn protocols are considered to be fast?
I'm using an openVPN and the speed is dramatically dropped down in compare to not having a vpn.
i get about 1 Giga bit/sec (from ISP) on each side (client and remote server) and when i connect the client via a vpn, the speed is only ~20 Mb/s .
Wireguard is probably the "lightest" and therefore fastest.
 

concord

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Yea, an understanding is always a good thing. step by step instructions might get you there but you won't know where you are.
Have you looked into Wireguard? Not sure how it works on IpnSense, but it was straight forward when I used Home Assistant and the Wireguard add-on, it will generate the key and it presented the QRcode on screen, just used the iPhone cam to capture the QRcode and way you go.
 

Sparkey

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Have you looked into Wireguard? Not sure how it works on IpnSense, but it was straight forward when I used Home Assistant and the Wireguard add-on, it will generate the key and it presented the QRcode on screen, just used the iPhone cam to capture the QRcode and way you go.
I'm going to look into Wire Guard. OpenVPN gives you a QR code also and I took a picture of it with my iPhone and it did nothing. The OpenVPN client doesn't give you the option to use the code.
 

concord

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I'm going to look into Wire Guard. OpenVPN gives you a QR code also and I took a picture of it with my iPhone and it did nothing. The OpenVPN client doesn't give you the option to use the code.
If the Wireguard add-in on OpnSense doesn't give you a QR code, you can plug in the information into a field on Wireguard's website to generate it:

Edit: The geek that I am, I was curious on how to do Wiregard on OpnSense and found the youtube video below, you probably already viewed it. I found his instructions and pace great.

 
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Broachoski

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Michael11

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I cannot for the life of me figure out how to transfer the client file to my iPhone. All the instructions I can find tell me to click button s that don't exist or they don't bother to tell where these buttons are. Can someone please tell me how to go about getting the client file from my computer to the OpenVPN client on my iPhone?

TIA

OK, I emailed the client file to my phone and was able to get it installed in the VPN Client but there's still something wrong because I'm getting pages of error messages when I attempt to connect from my iPhone.

Can someone direct me to instructions on how to set up OpenVPN? At this point it looks like the instructions I followed earlier don't work. :(
Did you ever get this to work? The email doesn't always work on an iPhone. I uploaded my file to Icloud then opened the Files app on the phone. I clicked on the file, opened it in OpenVPN Connect then just had to enter my username and password.

I'm having a problem I might ask about here if I can't figure it out. Saw this while I was looking for a similar problem.
 
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The Automation Guy

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If you have local access to the VPN server, then you should download the key directly from the server to each device you eventually want to connect remotely. This is the easiest and most secure way to pass keys. For example, I use pfSense, so I just open the psSense GUI on my device (phone, tablet, computer, etc), browse to the VPN section, and download the key directly to my device. I can then use that key during the setup of the VPN connection without having to email the key or upload it to a cloud server.

Just be aware that most email and online storage is not encrypted and therefore your key could be exposed. Now I will admit that the odds of someone getting an encryption key AND having the knowledge to be able to access your VPN connection is pretty small. But if you have passed that information along via the same unsecure method (a different email for example), then it might not be such long odds.
 

Ollie

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My router has a vpn configuration.
As I want to add a backup wan to my router (a modem stick), I believe I need to use a DDNS,
to be able to reach my router.
I wonder how ddns safe - is it risky for my system?
 
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