Ars: How to roll your own VPN

[splerdu]

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/05/how-to-build-your-own-vpn-if-youre-rightfully-wary-of-commercial-options/

Nice article on how to set up your own VPN if commercial ones aren't doing it for you. If you have a relative in the states I still think the best way is to have a small box or a VM with just this running over there, that way everything works (even stuff like Netflix who have started IP banning known VPNs and datacenters).

[joannaa]

Sounds nice, but what's the advantage to all this? I've been thinking of using different VPNs (purevpn is running so slow), but don't really get the advantage of your own just yet. I've heard rumours about using a single-board computer to make one. What do you think of that?

[calvin]

I'm using IPVanish for anonymous browsing...

and a VPS host configured for VPN for my static IP needs... since PLDT doesn't want to give me a business account anymore.

[joannaa]

Thanks, I have never heard about IPVanish actually... how does it fair with things like foreign Netflix sites? It seems like a lot of people are now using Raspberry Pi as a VPN, any experience with that? What I mean: https://www.1and1.co.uk/digitalguide/server/configuration/vpn-server-set-up-via-raspberry-pi-and-openvpn/


 It seems secure but also quite complex :/

[splerdu]

^ IPVanish reportedly doesn't work with Netflix anymore. As of this month there were 7 VPNs left that still work, but nothing's guaranteed. It's a game of whack a mole between Netflix and the VPNs, except getting more moles (IP addresses) isn't easy and whacking them is easier.

https://www.comparitech.com/blog/vpn-privacy/netflix-proxy-error-here-are-6-vpns-that-still-work-in-2016/

Even if you roll your own VPN but use a server on Amazon or Azure I think it'll eventually get banned because Netflix will see an IP that's in a datacenter block is requesting their video. This is really the main reason why you want to roll your own VPN and host it from a home address.

Also, Netflix apparently does content-locking by region and not by account. So you can get a cheap Philippines Netflix account, run it through a VPN to get a US IP and get all of the US content. Just found out Thursday at dinner where one of the guys told me his son had been using his Ph Netflix account in the US and SG to good effect.

RasPi VPN is ok, but you might be limited by the hardware if your internet is fast. Max throughput on a Pi is a little bit below 100Mbps. Not a problem if your home connection only does 10 or 20.

[calvin]

^ I use a VPS account (from Dreamhost) for Netflix streaming...

[kissesmuahmuah]

Sir, much better and affordable if you just use perfect identity VPN

[calvin]

^ care to elaborate what a perfect identity VPN is?

[splerdu]

Got really lazy on this but ended up setting up my own VPN via a DigitalOcean droplet and ZeroTier One today.

$5 droplet cost is cheaper than VPNs, plus I get full control so obviously no logging of any sort and up to 50 devices (49 including the Droplet) can be connected at ZeroTier's free level. I was actually already using the droplet as a forwarder to get around PLDT's CGNAT, but didn't bother to set up NAT/routing before.

Eventually did it coz of PLDT's intermittent IPv4 cutting out connections to devices and websites without IPv6 support, but the regional unlocks on video services are nice too.

Incognito mode all the Youtube recommendations are now for West Coast USA: