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Is OpenVPN right for this?

Posted: Tue May 01, 2018 4:50 am
by tiptongrange
I'd like to know if setting up an OpenVPN server will help me in this situation. I'm accessing the Internet from a public library wifi network, but the library restricts websites that I can access, and also does not let me use my mail app to get email as well as use a few other apps that access the Internet. So, I was thinking of putting Gargoyle on a router on my home network, then using an OpenVPN server to get to the websites that I'm restricted from at the library.

I have Verizon FiOS with an ActionTec router on my home network. The Gargoyle router would be used just for the VPN server, I don't need it to do anything else. Would this work, would this be the best way to accomplish what I want to do?

I was planning to get an inexpensive Netgear WNDR3700 or 4300 for about $20 on Craig's List. Any other recommendations for this?

Re: Is OpenVPN right for this?

Posted: Tue May 01, 2018 5:07 am
by ispyisail
yes

But a lot depends on how sophisticated the library firewall/deep packet inspection is.

Big company's can block OpenVPN

e.g. The great China Firewall

Increase your chances of success by using port 443

Re: Is OpenVPN right for this?

Posted: Tue May 01, 2018 5:08 am
by ispyisail
other than that, your on the money

Re: Is OpenVPN right for this?

Posted: Tue May 01, 2018 5:12 am
by ispyisail
Also if you want fast speeds you need to router with a big CPU

Encryption is a CPU hog

Re: Is OpenVPN right for this?

Posted: Tue May 01, 2018 5:15 am
by ispyisail
e.g. this router

https://shop.gargoyle-router.com/produc ... -router-v3

With the highest encryption level I can get

6Mbps up and 10Mbps down (from memory)

Re: Is OpenVPN right for this?

Posted: Tue May 01, 2018 12:37 pm
by tiptongrange
Are you saying that the Netgear routers I mentioned above would not be good routers to use for this?

Re: Is OpenVPN right for this?

Posted: Tue May 01, 2018 1:15 pm
by ispyisail
tiptongrange wrote:Are you saying that the Netgear routers I mentioned above would not be good routers to use for this?
Depends on what speeds you expect?

The router I listed is a low spec machine
https://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/gl-inet/gl-ar150

Your router is more powerfull
https://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/netgear/wndr3700

Re: Is OpenVPN right for this?

Posted: Sun May 06, 2018 9:14 pm
by IanBlakeley
Pretty much what I do. Note especially on the default port it's an easy target to block. I set up the VPN originally on my NAS when the various WiFi bugs surfaced and I was using airport WiFi a lot.

As mentioned earlier switch to Port 443 and also to TCP if you have issues with the more sophisticated firewalls blocking VPN. That way the traffic should be indistinguishable from ordinary SSL connections.

Re: Is OpenVPN right for this?

Posted: Sun May 06, 2018 11:07 pm
by ispyisail
That way the traffic should be indistinguishable from ordinary SSL connections.
I think there might be a slight difference

Re: Is OpenVPN right for this?

Posted: Mon May 07, 2018 8:00 pm
by tiptongrange
I think I have everything setup, except for trying to use port 443. When I set the OpenVPN Port: to 443, and try to save, I get the error - OpenVPN server port conflicts with web server port. Changes could not be applied.

So I guess I have to disable a web server port, but not sure where to find this. What would I need to do, and will disabling this still allow me to log in through a web browser to configure the router?