How to Make a Raspberry Pi a VPN

While the Raspberry Pi is a perfectly capable general-purpose device, its small size and low price point have made it an icon of the modern data revolution. Thanks to its low price point and vast community of dedicated developers, the Pi has risen in popularity as of late and is even listed on eBay as a trendy item for hackers, makers, and tinkerers around the world. Whether used for education, prototyping, or just for fun, there is a wide variety of uses for the Raspberry Pi. Now that more and more people are realizing the versatility of this little device, it’s time to explore how to make it a VPN.

The Benefits Of A VPN On A Raspberry Pi

There are several reasons why you might want to put a VPN on your Raspberry Pi. One of the most common uses for a VPN is to keep your personal data secure while using public Wi-Fi. Many people don’t understand how easy it is for their personal data to be captured while they’re connected to a public Wi-Fi network. When you are not using a VPN, all your personal data is transmitted in the clear and can be easily read by any hacker or rogue employee at a Wi-Fi hotspot. This is why you should always use a VPN when you’re connected to a public Wi-Fi network, even if you’re just checking email or launching a web browser to look up a recipe. Doing so prevents any snooping by hackers and ensures that your personal data remains private and secure.

Installing And Configuring OpenVPN On A Raspberry Pi

Whether you’re using a Raspberry Pi or some other form of Linux-based operating system, installing and configuring an OpenVPN server on your PC or Mac is pretty much the same process. The only difference is that you’ll have to do some additional configuration on the Raspberry Pi itself to make it work. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to install and configure OpenVPN on a Raspberry Pi so you can begin to enjoy the benefits of a VPN connection. 

Step 1: Download And Install OpenVPN

To begin, you’ll need to head over to the OpenVPN website and download the proper software for your operating system. For the Raspberry Pi, you’ll want to download the OpenVPN plugin for Linux. After you’ve downloaded the file, you’ll need to extract the archive contents and move the.so file to your Raspberry Pi’s SD card. Your Raspberry Pi will need to have enough free space on its SD card so that when you’re finished installing OpenVPN, there’s room for you to install some other operating system or application later on. For more information on the SD card, check out this related Stack Overflow answer from @saintboob:

Next, you’ll want to plug your Raspberry Pi into your computer’s USB port (if you’re using a PC) or its network port (if you’re using a Mac). After this, you’ll need to download and install the OpenVPN server software from the OpenVPN website onto your Raspberry Pi. To do this, first, open a terminal on your computer and then enter the following command:

sudo apt-get install openvpn

This will install the OpenVPN server software onto your Raspberry Pi. When the installation is complete, you’ll be prompted to enter a username and password to login to the server. After you’ve logged in, you’ll have full control over the VPN server and can make any necessary changes.

Step 2: Configure The VPN Server

After you’ve installed and logged in to the VPN server, you’ll need to configure it. To do this, click on the wrench icon and select Edit Profile. This will bring up the OpenVPN server configuration file. You’ll need to add your Gateway IP, Subnet mask, and DNS servers to this file, as follows:

Gateway IP: 74.125.49.74

Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0

DNS servers: 8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4

These values should all be entered as IP addresses. You can find your Gateway IP by visiting this site and entering your IP address in the text box. If you’re not sure what your Subnet mask and DNS servers are, ask your Internet service provider (ISP). Once you’ve entered these values, click on Save Profile and then exit the configuration file. You’ll now be able to connect to the VPN and access resources on the internet that are secured via the OpenVPN server!

Step 3: Test Your Installation

Once you’ve logged in and the server is running, you can test it by connecting to it via the internet. To do this, first, ensure that your Raspberry Pi is connected to the internet (either via WiFi or Ethernet). Next, open your web browser and go to https://ipinfo.io. This site will tell you the IP address of any website that you’re connecting to. In this case, we’ve connected to the VPN and the IP address of this website is 192.168.1.105. If you get a connection error or your IP address is not 192.168.1.105, then something is wrong and you should troubleshoot.”

Once you’ve confirmed that everything is working correctly, you can click on the green padlock in the address bar to authenticate that you are, in fact, connected to the VPN. Doing so will encrypt all the traffic between your computer and the OpenVPN server before it is transmitted, ensuring that only you and the server have access to it. This is the most basic step to securing your personal data while using public Wi-Fi, and it’s extremely important.

Summary

To recap, here’s how you can put a VPN on your Raspberry Pi.

– Download OpenVPN and install it on your Raspberry Pi. 

– Configure the VPN server by entering your Gateway IP, Subnet mask, and DNS servers in the configuration file. 

– Test your installation by connecting to the VPN via the internet. 

For more information on setting up a VPN, check out this helpful guide by NordVPN.