Tech with MJ

OpenVPN: Fastest way to deploy a VPN server

Jan 18, 20252 min read

Installation

Setting up an OpenVPN server can be straightforward with the following commands:

wget https://git.io/vpn -O openvpn-install.sh
sudo chmod +x openvpn-install.sh
./openvpn-install.sh

While this method is simple, it may not be the most reliable. In my experience, the OpenVPN server installed using this method often encountered frequent disconnections, requiring repeated reconnections. For a more stable setup, consider additional configuration and server optimization.

Walkthrough

Running the installation script provides an interactive setup process. Here’s an example of the workflow:

Welcome to this OpenVPN road warrior installer!
 
Which protocol should OpenVPN use?
   1) UDP (recommended)
   2) TCP
Protocol [1]: 1
 
What port should OpenVPN listen to?
Port [1194]:
 
Select a DNS server for the clients:
   1) Current system resolvers
   2) Google
   3) 1.1.1.1
   4) OpenDNS
   5) Quad9
   6) AdGuard
DNS server [1]: 2
 
Enter a name for the first client:
Name [client]: mitrajit
 
OpenVPN installation is ready to begin.
Press any key to continue...

Additional Configuration

If you want to use your VPN server as a gateway to the Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), you need to add a route to iptables. Below is an example configuration:

# Example configuration:
# 10.8.0.0/24 -> VPC Subnet
# 10.4.0.1 -> OpenVPN server IP in the OpenVPN subnet
route add -net 10.8.0.0/24 gw 10.4.0.1

Key Considerations When Choosing a Server

Server Reliability

  1. Cloud Providers:
    • Servers hosted on major cloud platforms like Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud are generally more reliable.
    • These servers are less likely to be blocked by services like Netflix compared to smaller providers.
  2. Server Specifications:
    • For a small number of connections, a server with 1 CPU and 1 GB of RAM is sufficient.

Potential Issues with IP Blacklisting

  1. Digital Ocean:
    • In my experience, Digital Ocean servers often face issues with IP blacklisting, including being blocked by Netflix.
  2. Other Providers:
    • While some cheaper providers may seem appealing, their IP addresses are more likely to be on blacklist databases.

Conclusion

Using this method, you can quickly set up an OpenVPN server for personal or small team use. However, for better reliability and fewer connection issues, choose a reputable cloud provider and consider advanced configurations to optimize your server’s performance and stability.

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