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Help me get started with VPN

TLDR: VPN-newbie wants to learn how to set up and use VPN.

What I have:

Currently, many of my selfhosted services are publicly available via my domain name. I am aware that it is safer to keep things closed, and use VPN to access -- but I don't know how that works.

  • domain name mapped via Cloudflare > static WAN IP > ISP modem > Ubiquity USG3 gateway > Linux server and Raspberry Pi.
  • 80,443 fowarded to Nginx Proxy Manager; everything else closed.
  • Linux server running Docker and several containers: NPM, Portainer, Paperless, Gitea, Mattermost, Immich, etc.
  • Raspberry Pi running Pi-hole as DNS server for LAN clients.
  • Synology NAS as network storage.

What I want:

  • access services from WAN via Android phone.
  • access services from WAN via laptop.
  • maybe still keep some things public?
  • noob-friendly solution: needs to be easy to "grok" and easy to maintain when services change.
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33 comments
  • Recently commented on a different post about setting up a VPN. Check out firezone

    I don't recommend using Tailscale or anything that relies on a third party.

    • You can self-host Headscale to cut the third party out of the Tailscale equation.

      • If you're going to do that you may as well cut out the extra server/service and run regular wireguard.

        • Not quite, it's still much more useful because you can connect multiple devices, have users, and relay when some devices can't see each other, among other features.

          • You can do all of those things with wireguard as well... I'm not seeing any benefit to running Tailscale/headscale.

33 comments