IKEv2-setup

Yes — configuring strongSwan as a bog-standard VPN server was so hard to fathom I made GitHub repo for it [1]. To be fair, some of the complexity comes from OS support that seems specifically designed to make secure setups difficult, presumably at the behest of various Three Letter Agencies. I have now mostly switched to Wireguard for this, which is much more sane [2]. [1] https://github.com/jawj/IKEv2-setup [2] https://github.com/jawj/wireguard-setup

I’m in the UK and have been using a self-hosted VPN for years, since the Investigatory Powers Act obliged ISPs to keep records of what you browse and gave public bodies warrantless access to those records (which I think on principle is entirely wrong). Originally IKEv2 and more recently WireGuard, configured like so: https://github.com/jawj/IKEv2-setup https://github.com/jawj/wireguard-setup

https://github.com/jawj/IKEv2-setup Sets up an Ubuntu server as a strongSwan IKEv2 VPN.

It only does IKEv2, but this script (mine) cuts out Ansible and is intended to be even easier: https://github.com/jawj/IKEv2-setup

I deployed a VPN+PiHole on a micro ec2 instance for use from my iOS devices. Works great. First i installed pihole and configured, then used this https://github.com/jawj/IKEv2-setup to setup the vpn. Took about 30 mins. Works great!

Or even quicker (no need to deal with Ansible) for IKEv2 IPSec only, my Bash script: https://github.com/jawj/IKEv2-setup

On iOS the only way I found for “always on” to work well was with the IKE protocol using the built-in VPN client. I set up a cheap Vultr VM and used this: https://github.com/jawj/IKEv2-setup One caveat: Reconnects worked poorly until I disabled the iptables rate limiting the script imposes. Outside of that, it’s worked really well. I pointed the VM’s DNS at Adguard so I get some good filtering as part of it.

I setup a similar system but with IPSec (https://github.com/jawj/IKEv2-setup) and Pi-Hole on DO. The best part is that the linked IPSec setup is trivial to install and also generates profile files that leverage the OS VPN capability in any iOS device without needing to install extra apps (and also force VPN connectivity by default so you don't need to remember to enable it)

I run https://github.com/jawj/IKEv2-setup on a $2.50/mo Vultr server and it's been great for my whole family. Blazing fast, the connection survives IP changes (e.g. switching from cellular to Wifi), and it works in China.

A way round this, of course, is a VPN. Which is also a handy way of using an ad-blocking DNS service everywhere. My setup is documented here: https://github.com/jawj/ikev2-setup

Depending on what you're trying to achieve, running your own can be a good and simple option: https://github.com/jawj/IKEv2-setup https://github.com/trailofbits/algo

I just came across this and started using it for the DNS servers for my IKEv2 VPN (see https://github.com/jawj/IKEv2-setup). Experience so far has been excellent — especially the speed of web browsing on my iPhone).

I ran this script on a node 2 years ago and haven't had to touch it since, it's been a fully-working, reliable VPN for my whole family for $2.50/mo and 10min of my time for initial setup: https://github.com/jawj/IKEv2-setup

See also https://github.com/jawj/IKEv2-setup for IKEv2 (I made this)

Vote with your feet if you can. Meanwhile, use a VPN. https://github.com/jawj/IKEv2-setup https://github.com/trailofbits/algo etc.