Protect Your Data and Privacy with a Raspberry Pi VPN Setup

Learn how to secure your network connections with a Raspberry Pi VPN setup, allowing you to access the internet privately and safely. …


Updated October 2, 2023

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Learn how to secure your network connections with a Raspberry Pi VPN setup, allowing you to access the internet privately and safely.

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a vital tool for protecting your data and online privacy while using public networks like coffee shops or airports. It encrypts your internet traffic, making it impossible for anyone to intercept or snoop on your personal information. In this article, we will explore how you can set up a Raspberry Pi VPN server to keep your connections secure and private.

Requirements

Before we begin, make sure that you have the following:

  1. A Raspberry Pi with an internet connection (ideally, Model 3 or higher for better performance).
  2. An Ethernet cable or WiFi adapter to connect your Raspberry Pi to your local network.
  3. A computer with an internet connection to access your Raspberry Pi and install the necessary software.
  4. Basic knowledge of Linux command line operations.

Step 1: Installing Operating System on Raspberry Pi

First, download the latest version of Raspbian from the official website (https://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads/) and write it to an SD card using a tool like Etcher (https://etcher.io/). Follow the installation instructions for your operating system. Once completed, insert the SD card into your Raspberry Pi and connect it to power.

Step 2: Update and Upgrade Software Packages

Open a terminal window on your computer and ssh into your Raspberry Pi using the default credentials (username: pi, password: raspberry). Run the following commands to update and upgrade your software packages:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade -y

Step 3: Installing OpenVPN

OpenVPN is a popular open-source VPN solution that provides a secure and encrypted connection. To install it, run the following commands:

sudo apt-get install openvpn -y

Step 4: Configuring OpenVPN Server

Next, we need to configure our Raspberry Pi as an OpenVPN server. We will use easy-rsa to generate the necessary certificates and keys for a secure connection. First, download the script and make it executable:

wget https://github.com/OpenVPN/easy-rsa/releases/download/v3.0.8/EasyRSA-unix-v3.0.8.tgz
tar xzf EasyRSA-unix-v3.0.8.tgz
cd EasyRSA-v3.0.8/

Create a new directory for our certificates and initialize the PKI:

mkdir /etc/openvpn/easy-rsa/pki
./easyrsa init-pki

Answer “yes” to the prompt to build a new CA. Then, generate the server certificate and key:

./easyrsa build-ca nopass
./easyrsa gen-req server nopass
./easyrsa sign-req server server
cp pki/issued/server.crt /etc/openvpn/server.crt
cp pki/private/server.key /etc/openvpn/server.key

Now, create a Diffie-Hellman parameters file for additional security:

openssl dhparam -out /etc/openvpn/dh2048.pem 2048

Finally, create the OpenVPN server configuration file (replace “example.com” with your domain or IP address):

nano /etc/openvpn/server.conf

Add the following contents to the file:

port 11943
proto udp
dev tun
ca /etc/openvpn/easy-rsa/pki/ca.crt
cert /etc/openvpn/server.crt
key /etc/openvpn/server.key
dh /etc/openvpn/dh2048.pem
server 10.8.0.0 255.255.255.0
push "redirect-gateway def1 bypass-dhcp"
push "dhcp-option DNS 8.8.8.8.8"
client-to-client
keepalive 10 60
tls-auth /etc/openvpn/easy-rsa/pki/ta.key 0
cipher AES-256-CBC
comp-lzo
user nobody
group nogroup
persist-key
persist-tun
status openvpn-status.log
verb 3

Save and exit the file.

Step 5: Configuring Client Devices

On your client device, download the OpenVPN client software for your operating system (Windows/Mac/Linux). Once installed, create a new configuration file using the server details you set earlier. Add the following contents to the file, replacing “example.com” with your domain or IP address:

client
dev tun
proto udp
remote example.com 11943
resolv-retry infinite
nobind
persist-key
persist-tun
ca [PATH_TO_CA_CERT]
cert [PATH_TO_CLIENT_CERT]
key [PATH_TO_CLIENT_KEY]
tls-auth [PATH_TO_TA_KEY] 1
cipher AES-256-CBC
comp-lzo
verb 3

Replace the paths with the correct file locations for your certificates and keys. Save the file as “client.ovpn” or similar, and import it into your OpenVPN client software.

Step 6: Starting OpenVPN Server on Raspberry Pi

Start the OpenVPN server by running the following command:

sudo systemctl start openvpn@server

To ensure that the VPN starts automatically on boot, run:

sudo systemctl enable openvpn@server

Step 7: Connecting to Your Raspberry Pi VPN Server

Open your OpenVPN client software and connect to the server using the “client.ovpn” file you created earlier. You should now have a secure, encrypted connection to the internet through your Raspberry Pi VPN server.

Conclusion

In this article, we learned how to set up a Raspberry Pi VPN server to protect our data and privacy while using public networks. The combination of OpenVPN and a Raspberry Pi provides an affordable, easy-to-use solution for securing your internet connections. By following these steps, you can enjoy a safer, more private online experience without breaking the bank.