Set up a WireGuard or OpenVPN server to secure remote access.
The goal of this project is to set up your own VPN server to secure your internet traffic when on untrusted networks (like public WiFi) and to access your private network remotely. You will configure a VPN server using either WireGuard (modern and simple) or OpenVPN (widely compatible), and connect to it from your devices.
Before starting this project, you should have:
A Linux server with a public IP address (VPS from any cloud provider)
Basic Linux command-line skills
Firewall configured (UFW or iptables)
Understanding of basic networking concepts (IP addresses, ports, routing)
Choose one of the following VPN solutions and complete the setup:
WireGuard is a modern, fast, and simple VPN protocol built into the Linux kernel.
Install WireGuard on your server
Generate server and client key pairs (public and private keys)
Configure the WireGuard interface ( wg0.conf ) with appropriate IP ranges
Enable IP forwarding and configure NAT rules for traffic routing
Open the WireGuard port (default: 51820/UDP) in your firewall
Start and enable the WireGuard service
Create client configuration files for your devices
OpenVPN is a mature, widely-supported VPN solution with broad client compatibility.
Install OpenVPN and Easy-RSA on your server
Set up a Certificate Authority (CA) and generate server certificates
Configure the OpenVPN server ( server.conf )
Enable IP forwarding and configure NAT rules
Open the OpenVPN port (default: 1194/UDP) in your firewall
Generate client certificates and create .ovpn configuration files
Install the VPN client on your phone, laptop, or other devices
Import the client configuration and connect to your VPN server
Verify your traffic is routed through the VPN (check your public IP)
Test DNS resolution to ensure there are no DNS leaks
Add multiple client configurations (e.g., phone, laptop, tablet)
Configure split tunneling to only route specific traffic through the VPN
Set up a Pi-hole or AdGuard alongside your VPN for ad-blocking
Configure automatic connection on untrusted networks
Set up monitoring to track connected clients and bandwidth usage
After completing this project, you will understand how VPNs work at a technical level, including tunneling, encryption, and traffic routing. You will be able to secure your internet traffic on untrusted networks and access your private resources remotely. These skills are valuable for personal security, remote work scenarios, and managing secure connections to cloud infrastructure.