Best free Router/VPN service OS-software?

[Bellzemos]

Hello,

I have an old desktop PC (Celeron D, 512 MB RAM, 80 GB HDD) which I'd like to turn into a router/VPN service or something where I could learn all that and more.

Which OS/software do you recommend? I've read something about DD-WRT x86 and FreeBSD but am not sure if those are free and if they even support what I'm looking for.

Se yeah, I would like to set a home VPN service. And play with other stuff. The more feautures the better. So what would you recommend?

Thank you!

 

[Bellzemos]

Anyone, any idea, please?

 

[Alabalcho]

You can start with OpenWRT for x86 Someone here made an Instructble.

 

[bill001g]

There is a large difference between you setting up a vpn that allows remote access to the lan in your house compared to using a VPN service to hide you ip or make it appear you are coming from another location.

The second option is trivial you load a software client from the company you are buying the service from. The first tends to be rather complex because in effect YOU are providing that type of service. Many people use hamachi vpn to create connection between small number of location. OPENVPN is also commonly used and that does run on a router if you want.

 

[Bellzemos]

I have installed pfSense on my old PC yesterday but it seems complicated.

@ Alabalcho - I checked out OpenWRT but that seems even more complicated.

@ bill001g - I am only interested in the encryption and safe connection (meaning remote access to the LAN in my house), not anonimity and hiding. So yeah, I would like to provide the VPN service so that I can use my own LAN to connect to the internet when I'm somewhere where an unsecure WiFi is.

I'm trying this to learn, not to seriously use it, I will just use CynerGhost VPN Free for checking email when I'm using an unsecure WiFi.

So what would be best for me then? Is Hamachi still free?

 

[Alabalcho]

You have two options to host a VPN server for local access (actually, three):
- Free OS (Linux, FreeBSD) - you will need a lot of reading to do that, if that is what you want.
- Paid OS (Windows server) - it has built-in VPN server in the form of RRAS
- modern most $100 routers have built-in VPN server

 

[Bellzemos]

I would like to go with the first option. Is pfSense the right thing for me? It's a derivate of FreeBSD I think, I'm not entirely sure.

 

[gbb0330]

I would like to go with the first option. Is pfSense the right thing for me? It's a derivate of FreeBSD I think, I'm not entirely sure.

you can try IPCop, similar to pfsense, but more user friendly.

 

[Bellzemos]

Thank you very much for that information, I'll try it. Is IPCop like an "OS" too, will it turn my old PC into a router (+ all the other features, including VPN)?

 

[gbb0330]

Thank you very much for that information, I'll try it. Is IPCop like an "OS" too, will it turn my old PC into a router (+ all the other features, including VPN)?

IPCop is a linux distro, its hardened for security and basically turns the computer into a firewall /router. you will need 2 network cards.

 

[Bellzemos]

Excellent, that's what I'm looking for. It does support VPN services too, right? I have one wired NIC and one wireless. I hope it will be able to recognise the old 3COM WLAN NIC (Ubuntu and WinXP work with it, Win7 & 8 don't). Thank you!

 

[gbb0330]

Excellent, that's what I'm looking for. It does support VPN services too, right? I have one wired NIC and one wireless. I hope it will be able to recognise the old 3COM WLAN NIC (Ubuntu and WinXP work with it, Win7 & 8 don't). Thank you!

yes it offers both site to site and host to site VPN.

Not sure about the WiFi card, i've never done it with wireless. Usually 1 card (Red / Public interface ) connects to your ISP, the other card (Green interface / internal network) connects to a switch.

 

[Bellzemos]

Public interface (WAN) and internal interface (LAN), yes. I'm connected to the internet like this: ISP/DSL-->Router-->Switch-->PC. So I hope that this could be used as the WAN. And the wireless should be used as the LAN where WiFi devices could connect through the VPN to the internet. I hope it's not too unclear. Anyway, I have to try IPCop and see how it will work. Thanx!

 

[gbb0330]

Public interface (WAN) and internal interface (LAN), yes. I'm connected to the internet like this: ISP/DSL-->Router-->Switch-->PC. So I hope that this could be used as the WAN. And the wireless should be used as the LAN where WiFi devices could connect through the VPN to the internet. I hope it's not too unclear. Anyway, I have to try IPCop and see how it will work. Thanx!

i see what you are trying to do, its an interesting concept, for educational purposes.
the idea of computers on the internal network, connecting to the internet over a VPN provided by another device on the same internal network does not make sense.

the way VPNs are intended to be used is when you have one network, let say your office, with some network resources, like shared files, and you want to access those shared resources from another network, lets say your house. so you use the VPN to connect your home network to your office network and access the network resources.

now if I was setting this up for a client I would go like this (DSL modem in bridge mode) -> IPCop WAN interface configured for PPPoE. IP Cop LAN Interface -> switch. All other network devices, including a wireless access point go into the switch. Noticed there is no router in my setup - the IPCop does the routing. This will allow people from outside to VPN into the network (Outside being the keyword here)

 

[Bellzemos]

Got ya, you explained it very nicely. The IPCop in fact acts/is a router (among other srvices) thus shuld be have it's WAN port conencted to the DSL modem. But - would it be possible to tunnel encrypted date through LAN first and then through the gateway router's WAN port out on the internet? The think is, I am unable to physically change the setup I have in the house. I mean, I am, but it would take a lot of effort and that's not what I'm looking for. I'd lile to set the VPN in my room not at the demarc point. I hope that's possible? All I want is to learn and make it work. Not to really provide a service, for that I'll use an established VPN service provider.

Thank you.

 

[gbb0330]

Got ya, you explained it very nicely. The IPCop in fact acts/is a router (among other srvices) thus shuld be have it's WAN port conencted to the DSL modem. But - would it be possible to tunnel encrypted date through LAN first and then through the gateway router's WAN port out on the internet? The think is, I am unable to physically change the setup I have in the house. I mean, I am, but it would take a lot of effort and that's not what I'm looking for. I'd lile to set the VPN in my room not at the demarc point. I hope that's possible? All I want is to learn and make it work. Not to really provide a service, for that I'll use an established VPN service provider.

Thank you.

yes you can have the IPCop behind a router, but then you will be double NATing. the router does NAT and the IPCop does NAT. Port forwarding becomes a pain in the neck, but its doable.

 

[Aldora]

Setting up a VPN that allows remote access to the LAN in your house is markedly different from using a VPN service to keep your IP masked. Alternately you can load a software client from the provider. Setting up VPN can be quite a challenge as the service will have to be managed by you. It is advisable to use the second option.