What You'll Need

  • A Raspberry Pi (3B+ or newer, because we're not savages)
  • A microSD card (16GB+, because more is more)
  • Raspberry Pi OS (formerly Raspbian, for those who've been living under a rock)
  • Internet connection (duh)
  • The ability to forward ports on your router (time to dust off that admin password)
  • OpenVPN (our VPN software of choice)

The Grand VPN Adventure

Step 1: Prep Your Pi

First things first, let's get that Pi up and running:

  1. Download Raspberry Pi Imager (because typing commands is so 2010)
  2. Flash Raspberry Pi OS onto your microSD
  3. Boot up your Pi and feel like a tech genius

Step 2: Update All The Things

Open up a terminal and type:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Watch as your Pi downloads the latest and greatest software. Marvel at the scrolling text. Feel the power.

Step 3: Install OpenVPN

Time to get our VPN on:

sudo apt install openvpn easy-rsa -y

Easy-RSA comes along for the ride because we're all about that secure key management life.

Step 4: Easy-RSA Setup

Let's set up our key-making factory:

make-cadir ~/openvpn-ca
cd ~/openvpn-ca

Now, edit the vars file. This is where you pretend you're a secret agent and fill in your cover story... I mean, certificate details.

Step 5: Generate All The Keys

Time to make it rain... keys and certificates:

source vars
./clean-all
./build-ca
./build-key-server server
./build-dh
openvpn --genkey --secret keys/ta.key

Congratulations! You're now the proud owner of a bunch of cryptographic gibberish that will keep your data safe.

Step 6: Configure OpenVPN Server

Create a new file:

sudo nano /etc/openvpn/server.conf

Now, paste in this configuration. Feel free to tweak, but remember: with great power comes great responsibility (and potential debugging nightmares).

port 1194
proto udp
dev tun
ca /home/pi/openvpn-ca/keys/ca.crt
cert /home/pi/openvpn-ca/keys/server.crt
key /home/pi/openvpn-ca/keys/server.key
dh /home/pi/openvpn-ca/keys/dh2048.pem
server 10.8.0.0 255.255.255.0
ifconfig-pool-persist ipp.txt
keepalive 10 120
cipher AES-256-CBC
user nobody
group nogroup
persist-key
persist-tun
status openvpn-status.log
verb 3

Step 7: IP Forwarding and Firewall Fun

Let's turn your Pi into a traffic cop:

sudo nano /etc/sysctl.conf

Find and uncomment:

net.ipv4.ip_forward=1

Apply changes:

sudo sysctl -p

Now, let's set up some iptables magic:

sudo iptables -t nat -A POSTROUTING -s 10.8.0.0/24 -o eth0 -j MASQUERADE
sudo iptables-save | sudo tee /etc/iptables/rules.v4

Step 8: Start Your Engines

Time to bring this VPN server to life:

sudo systemctl start openvpn@server
sudo systemctl enable openvpn@server

Step 9: Client Configuration

Now, create client configs using the keys and certs you generated. Distribute these to your devices, and voila! You're ready to VPN like a boss.

The "Why Bother?" Section

You might be wondering, "Why go through all this trouble?" Well, my fellow privacy enthusiast, here's why:

  • It's your VPN. No sketchy third-party services, no logs, no nonsense.
  • Access your home network from anywhere. Left something important on your home computer? No problem!
  • Bypass geo-restrictions like a digital ninja.
  • Protect yourself on public Wi-Fi. Because let's face it, "HackerMcHackface" is not a trustworthy network name.

Potential Pitfalls

Before you go off feeling like a cybersecurity god, keep these things in mind:

  • Your home internet speed is now your VPN speed. If you're still rocking that 2Mbps connection, maybe it's time for an upgrade.
  • Keep your Pi and OpenVPN updated. Security is not a set-it-and-forget-it deal.
  • If your home IP changes, your VPN connection will break. Consider setting up dynamic DNS.

Wrapping Up

Congratulations! You've just joined the elite club of "People Who Run Their Own VPN Server on a Raspberry Pi". Your membership card is in the mail (it's not, but wouldn't that be cool?).

Remember, with great VPN comes great responsibility. Use your newfound power wisely, and may your internet speeds be ever in your favor!

"The best VPN is the one you control." - Some wise person on the internet, probably

Now go forth and browse securely, you magnificent tech wizard!