Pritunl: A reliable VPN solution

Background

Initially, I started with a simple OpenVPN server installation, but as the number of connections grew, the server struggled to scale. This led to frequent connection drops, even during critical moments like important meetings. To address these issues, I transitioned to Pritunl, a more robust and enterprise-grade VPN solution.

I followed the official Pritunl installation guide for Ubuntu 24.04. It is crucial to use the exact versions mentioned in the documentation at the time of reading, as updates may cause compatibility issues, which I experienced firsthand.

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Installation Guide for Pritunl on Ubuntu 24.04

Steps:

1. Add MongoDB Repository:

sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mongodb-org.list << EOF
 
deb [ signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/mongodb-server-8.0.gpg ] https://repo.mongodb.org/apt/ubuntu noble/mongodb-org/8.0 multiverse EOF 

2. Add OpenVPN Repository:

sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/openvpn.list << EOF
 
deb [ signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/openvpn-repo.gpg ] https://build.openvpn.net/debian/openvpn/stable noble main EOF 

3. Add Pritunl Repository:

sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pritunl.list << EOF
 
deb [ signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/pritunl.gpg ] https://repo.pritunl.com/stable/apt noble main EOF 

4. Install GPG and Import Keys:

sudo apt --assume-yes install gnupg
    
curl -fsSL https://www.mongodb.org/static/pgp/server-8.0.asc | sudo gpg -o /usr/share/keyrings/mongodb-server-8.0.gpg --dearmor --yes
curl -fsSL https://swupdate.openvpn.net/repos/repo-public.gpg | sudo gpg -o /usr/share/keyrings/openvpn-repo.gpg --dearmor --yes
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/pritunl/pgp/master/pritunl_repo_pub.asc | sudo gpg -o /usr/share/keyrings/pritunl.gpg --dearmor --yes

5. Update and Install Required Packages:

sudo apt update
sudo apt --assume-yes install pritunl openvpn mongodb-org wireguard wireguard-tools

6. Disable Uncomplicated Firewall (UFW):

sudo ufw disable

7. Start and Enable Services:

sudo systemctl start pritunl mongod
sudo systemctl enable pritunl mongod

Firewall

Open port 80, 443(TCP) and 15489(UDP)

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Key Recommendations

• Always refer to the official documentation for up-to-date installation instructions.
• Use the exact versions specified in the documentation to avoid compatibility issues.
• Ensure your server meets the minimum system requirements for stable performance.

By following this approach, you can set up a reliable and scalable VPN solution suitable for enterprise use.