How to Create a VPN Server on Amazon EC2 Cloud

If you’re looking for a way to create a VPN to help protect your privacy online, you’ve probably considered multiple options. While you might have had some experience with Cisco or Juniper VPNs in the past, these devices can still be quite costly and don’t always fit within your budget. Alternatively, you might have heard of ExpressVPN, a popular VPN service that’s available for virtually all platforms and devices. However, if you’d like to create a VPN server on your own terms, using the AWS Cloud, this article will guide you through the process.

Benefits of AWS VPN Server

One of the biggest benefits of creating a VPN server on the AWS Cloud is that you can use any device, operating system, or platform that you desire. This includes macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android, as well as traditional hardware such as Intel-based servers and Google’s own Stadia game console. This allows you to create a robust, flexible, and secure VPN that will meet your needs. Additionally, you’ll have the added advantage of being able to scale your service as needed.

Set Up Your AWS VPN Server

To set up your AWS VPN server, you’ll first need to create a new Amazon EC2 instance. While you might be tempted to select the pre-configured VPN instance provided by Amazon, this will not be your best option. Instead, you should opt for the Custom option, which will give you full control over the operating system and configuration of your server. This way, you can ensure that your VPN is as secure as possible and is able to withstand even the most exhaustive of security audits.

To launch your EC2 instance, visit the AWS homepage and click on the Get Started button. From here, you’ll need to select the Custom option and then choose Ubuntu 18.04 LTS (or similar) for the operating system. Finally, you’ll need to provide a name for your instance, an AWS account email address, and a security key.

Now, you’ll need to install the tinc cryptocurrency client on your new EC2 instance. This is a free and open source project that aims to make using and accepting cryptocurrency as easy and accessible as possible. Tinc allows you to seamlessly move your cryptocurrencies from one place to another while offering you the added benefits of increased privacy and security. To download the latest version of the client, visit the tinc website and click on the Download button. When prompted, provide your AWS account email address and a password, then click on the Install button.

Configure Your AWS VPN Server

Once you have your EC2 instance set up and running, you can begin configuring it as a VPN server. To do this, click on the Settings link in the upper-right corner of the EC2 console and then select VPN Settings from the subsequent drop-down menu. From here, you can configure the amount of I/O performance you want to allow, as well as other miscellaneous options, such as the virtual IP (vIP) address of your server. By default, your EC2 device will act as a router for your network, so it’s a good idea to keep the IP address of your personal computer (PC) within the 169.254.x.x/16 netblock.

As a general rule of thumb, it’s advisable to create a dedicated subnet for your VPN server. Doing this allows you to easily scale your service as needed while also protecting the security of your infrastructure. To create a subnet, click on the Subnets option in the upper-right corner of the EC2 console and then choose Create Subnet. From here, you can provide a name for your subnet and select the Auto option. This way, each time you launch a new instance in your account, it will automatically assign itself a static public IPv4 address in the 169.254.x.x/16 range, as well as a private IPv4 address within the 10.x.x.x/8 range.

Secure Your AWS VPN Server

To ensure that your data travels securely between your computer and your VPN server, you’ll need to install the tinc VPN client on both ends. This is a free and open-source project that aims to make using and accepting cryptocurrencies as easy and accessible as possible. Once you have both clients installed, you can configure them to communicate with each other and establish a secure connection. To do this, follow the instructions given in the Tinc manual.

To recap, you need to:

• Install the tinc VPN client on your computer.
• Launch the tinc server on your computer.
• Configure the server to accept connections from your computer.
• Configure the server to communicate with the client on your computer.
• Launch the tinc client on your phone or tablet.
• Connect to your VPN server.
• Use the client to authenticate yourself with the server.

To learn more, you can refer to the Tinc documentation or download the tinc VPN app to your iPhone or Android device.

Once you’ve followed the above steps, you can test your VPN server by trying to access a website that’s blocked by your ISP. For example, if you’re having trouble watching videos on YouTube, you can use circumvention tools to unblock the website. However, for optimum performance, it’s recommended that you use a VPN to hide your IP address while visiting unsecure sites.

Final Takeaways

With the above information, you should have a good idea of how to create a VPN server on the AWS Cloud. As you may have guessed, this is a task that can be easily accomplished by anyone willing to dedicate a few hours to learning how to use the service. From a technical standpoint, you’ll need to ensure that your EC2 instances have enough storage, a minimum of 8 GiB of ram, and that they’re running the most recent stable version of the Linux kernel. Additionally, you’ll need to ensure that your computer is secure and can access the Internet without any problems. To do this, you can use a free tool like Chrome Canary to test your computer’s security and performance levels, as well as use the IPLeaf website to check the IP address of any website you visit.

Of course, if you want to truly keep your browsing activity private and secure, you should consider using a VPN on all of your devices, including your phone and tablet. This way, you’ll always have access to the most up-to-date software, features, and security when exploring the web from somewhere else besides your PC or Mac.

If you’ve been looking for a way to create a VPN, this article should provide you with all the information you need to know. As mentioned above, creating a VPN server on the AWS Cloud is easy enough for anyone with basic server administration skills to accomplish. Additionally, this is a task that can be done by anyone who’s looking for a way to protect their privacy online.