How to set up a VPN that iOS 10 devices can connect to?

Hoggorm · 27 Sep 2016

Hi,

Using Windows 10 I've set up a VPN server at home. The idea is not to hide my IP, but to use my own network IP when at work etc. Hence I do not use VPN providers or similar.

I think it uses PPTP (?) connection. After upgrading my iPad and iPhone to iOS 10 this connection type is removed and I do no longer have access to my VPN network.

iOS 10 allows the following VPN types:

IKEv2
IPSec
L2TP

Is it possible to set up a new VPN connection using of these connection types instead?

How do I do this when I have a minimum of computer knowledge...?

I have a Huawei modem and a Cisco Linksys E2500 Wifi Router.

Thank you for assisting.

bro67 · 27 Sep 2016

Use OpenVPN. It can run on a Raspberry Pi 3 with a 64gb Class 10 micro SD card.

Hoggorm · 27 Sep 2016

OpenVPN from this site?

OpenVPN - Open Source VPN

It appears to cost money? And my first impression is that it is above my skill level to start with this?

If it cost money, it is not what I'm looking for, since I do not want to log on to a server somewhere else in the world. I'd like to be somewhere else in the world and log on to my network.

If I've misunderstood, and it is free - is there an easy to follow tutorial somewhere on how to set this up?

bro67 · 27 Sep 2016

That is the only site. There is information on the Raspberry Pi forum in how to set it up. There is another user on here that has a Pi and plays around with it more than I do with mine. Cyberpunk has done all of the hard work for you and has a great set of instructions at OpenVPN Raspberry Pi Another tutorial How to Setup Raspberry Pi VPN & Secure Your Privacy

The plus side is that you can get the board, case, SD Card, power supply through Canna Kit for around $70-80. There is a better SBC (Small Board Computer) that is a Octa-core Arm and has 8gb NRAM onboard to allow you to install Android OS and set up a server that way.

You would need a time clock board if you want to have the clock kept in sync for Real Time. Now of course if you are doing this on an extra computer, those two tutorials will also work for you.

bro67 · 27 Sep 2016

Yes it costs money. Everything with hobbies like this can get expensive. I have three Intel Core 2 Duo's sitting downstairs waiting for when I may have another project to work on. Stuff like this is always why you keep an extra machine around when you want to experiment.

Hoggorm · 28 Sep 2016

bro67 said:

Yesit costs money. Everything with hobbies like this can get expensive.

Well, I have to disagree. Following this tutorial on YouTube I can easily set up a VPN using Windows 10 only. It has been everything I needed for the last year.

How To Setup a VPN in Windows 10 - YouTube

I need the same system but with another connection type than PPTP...

I have spare laptops laying around. I guess I can use them instead, but I'm not interested in a subscription service to a VPN provider. Also – connecting to a VPN provider will not solve my problem as I need to be connect to my IP (home network). I only need to connect to my network when away. When at home I have no use for VPN. And my limited use of a VPN (when away) does not allow this to be a costly project…

lx07 · 28 Sep 2016

The built in VPN server in Windows uses PPTP. You'd need to install something else to listen for incoming connections to use a different protocol. For example the free SoftEther VPN server.

It might be easier to use TeamViewer instead of VPN though if that would fit your needs. It is free, easy and has iOS client.

jimbo45 · 28 Sep 2016

Hi there

@Hoggorm

There's plenty of ways to create a FREE OPENVPN server - but I'd suggest doing it on a LINUX box -- Since you are in Norway you will certainly have decent broadband speed (note UPLOAD speed is important here -- doesn't matter if you have 1 Gbps download if upload is a measly 8mbps or whatever !! since outside your LAN you will have HIDEOUS response times.

Install say CENTOS 7 as a VM and then create your OPENVPN following these instructions

How To Setup and Configure an OpenVPN Server on CentOS 7 | DigitalOcean

Running the OPENVPN on a VM is perfectly OK -- ensure though you give the VM a STATIC IP on your LAN - use BRIDGED rather than NAT networking when creating the VM and in your Router - for clients (other machines on your LAN / mobile phones / tablets) use DHCP but reserve a fixed IP for the VM -- plus you'll have to Port forward too (default for OPENVPN is port 1194 and UDP).

You CAN use Windows but it's probably best to use a WINDOWS SERVER edition for creating an OPENVPN but it can be done on Windows. I prefer Linux for any type of Networking as it always seems to work - Windows Networking IMO just seems so random - things just stop working for no apparent reason etc.

Easy_Windows_Guide â€“ OpenVPN Community

Don't PAY any money for this stuff.

The only problem you might have is with dynamic IP addresses from your ISP -- however if you keep the thing up and running the chances are the IP address won't change until you re-boot.

I'm not a skilled programmer but a way to avoid that problem would be to have a script that gets your IP address (e.g in Linux ifconfig), capture the output and email it to yourself every so often. Then on your CLIENT computer login with IP address rather than a domain etc -- those services cost money whereas the email idea seems to me the simplest and cheapest ( i.e 0 EUR !!!!).

Probably an easier way if you just want to be able to access files etc on your home machine from a remote client might be to install a L.A.M.P server on Linux (Linux, Apache, MySQL,PHP) or W.A.M.P server on Windows.

Window : Installing WampServer Make WordPress Core
Linux: Install Apache, PHP And MySQL On CentOS 7 (LAMP)

Have fun !!!!

Cheers
jimbo

Hoggorm · 28 Sep 2016

I see... I would have to spend some time learning what you suggest there jimbo. Unfortunately, most of the information is somewhat cryptic to me... I'm not good with computers at all, and I've never touch Linux.

I use TeamViewer for file transfers etc., but I need VPN because a radio that I have at home can stream audio to an app on my iPhone. The problem is that I have to be connected to my home WiFi to be able to listen to it. Very impractical, but this is how it's made. When at home I must connect to the radios current IP and that is a local one like 192.168.1.123. If I'd like to listen to this IP when outside my WiFi network I need to connect to VPN. This has worked very nicely until last week when I installed iOS 10...

Do TeamViewer come with a VPN that I can set up by the way?

bro67 · 28 Sep 2016

Linux is easy. There are distro's out there that already include VPN, same as Webmin lets you handle the server packages through a browser. The only way to get in and learn is to take the first step and tool around with it. The Raspberry Pi Forums are full of information in this area, same as the ArchWiki and Ubuntu Wiki. If you are looking at doing a Server connection, that can be handled through something like the Pi or Centos.

NethServer and Zentyal are easy packages to use. Just need a spare computer to run them. The only time that you would be using a Server is if you are wanting to connect to your network from the outside. You are looking more for a Client, which even Android devices can handle being the "Man in the middle".