Setting up an OpenVPN server on your OpenWRT router might sound intimidating, but trust me, it's totally doable, and the benefits are amazing. We're talking about boosting your online security, accessing your home network remotely, and bypassing geo-restrictions. In this guide, we'll walk through the process step-by-step, making it super easy to follow, even if you're not a tech whiz. Let's dive in and get your OpenVPN server up and running!

Why Run an OpenVPN Server on Your OpenWRT Router?

Before we jump into the how-to, let's quickly cover the why. I mean, why go through the trouble of setting up an OpenVPN server on your OpenWRT router in the first place? Here's the deal:

• Enhanced Security: When you connect to the internet through your OpenVPN server, all your traffic is encrypted. This means that even if someone is snooping on your connection (like on public Wi-Fi), they won't be able to see what you're doing. Think of it as a super-secure tunnel for your data.
• Remote Access to Your Home Network: Imagine you're traveling and need to access files on your home computer or use a device that's only accessible on your local network. With an OpenVPN server, you can securely connect to your home network from anywhere in the world as if you were sitting right there.
• Bypass Geo-Restrictions: Some websites and services are only available in certain countries. By connecting to your OpenVPN server, you can make it look like you're browsing from your home network, bypassing those pesky geo-restrictions. Watch your favorite shows while traveling? Yes, please!
• Privacy: Using an OpenVPN server can help mask your IP address, making it harder for websites and advertisers to track your online activity. It's like putting on a virtual mask to protect your privacy.
• Cost-Effective: Instead of paying for a third-party VPN service, you can host your own VPN server on your OpenWRT router. While there's some initial setup involved, it can save you money in the long run.

Basically, running an OpenVPN server on your OpenWRT router gives you more control over your online security and privacy, and it opens up a world of possibilities for remote access and content unblocking. It's a powerful tool to have in your digital arsenal, and in the next section, we'll get started with the setup.

Prerequisites

Okay, before we dive into the nitty-gritty, let’s make sure you've got all the necessary stuff in place. Think of this as your pre-flight checklist for setting up your OpenVPN server on your OpenWRT router. Skipping these steps could lead to some turbulence later on, so pay attention, guys!

• An OpenWRT Router: Obviously, you'll need an OpenWRT router. Make sure it's properly set up and connected to the internet. If you're new to OpenWRT, there are tons of great resources online to help you get started.
• A Computer: You'll need a computer (Windows, macOS, or Linux) to access your router's web interface and configure the OpenVPN server. Any modern browser will do the trick.
• Internet Connection: A stable internet connection is crucial for downloading packages and configuring your router. Make sure your internet is up and running before you start.
• Basic Networking Knowledge: A basic understanding of networking concepts like IP addresses, subnets, and ports will be helpful, but don't worry if you're not an expert. We'll guide you through the essential parts.
• Administrative Access to Your Router: You'll need to be able to log in to your OpenWRT router with administrative privileges. This is usually done through a web browser using the router's IP address.
• A Text Editor: You'll need a text editor to edit configuration files. Notepad (Windows), TextEdit (macOS), or any other text editor will work.
• Patience: Setting up an OpenVPN server can take some time and effort, so be patient and don't get discouraged if you run into problems. We're here to help!

Once you've got all these prerequisites covered, you're ready to move on to the next step. Trust me, taking the time to prepare will make the whole process much smoother and less stressful. Now, let's get this show on the road!

Installing the Necessary Packages

Alright, now that we have everything set up, it's time to install the required packages on your OpenWRT router to get that OpenVPN server humming! This is where the magic starts to happen, so let's get right to it.

First, you'll need to access your OpenWRT router's web interface. Open your web browser and enter your router's IP address (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1). Log in with your username and password. If you haven't changed them, the default username is usually root and there might not be a default password. If you've forgotten your password, you might need to reset your router to factory settings.

Once you're logged in, navigate to the "System" menu and then select "Software". This is where you can install and manage software packages on your OpenWRT router.

Click on the "Update lists..." button to refresh the package list. This will ensure that you have the latest information about available packages. This is crucial, as it ensures that you're installing the most up-to-date versions of the packages.

Now, in the "Download and install package" field, type openvpn-openssl and click "OK". This will install the main OpenVPN package with OpenSSL support, which is essential for encryption.

Next, type easy-rsa in the "Download and install package" field and click "OK". Easy-RSA is a tool that helps you generate the necessary certificates and keys for your OpenVPN server. These certificates and keys are what make your VPN connection secure.

Finally, type luci-app-openvpn in the "Download and install package" field and click "OK". This installs a web interface for managing your OpenVPN server, making it much easier to configure and control.

After installing all the packages, it's a good idea to reboot your router to ensure that everything is working correctly. Go to the "System" menu and select "Reboot".

Once your router has rebooted, you're ready to move on to the next step: generating the certificates and keys. Don't worry, we'll walk you through it step by step!

Generating Certificates and Keys

Okay, this is where things might seem a bit intimidating, but trust me, it's not as complicated as it looks. We're going to generate the certificates and keys that your OpenVPN server needs to encrypt and authenticate connections. Think of them as the secret codes that keep your VPN secure.

First, you'll need to connect to your OpenWRT router using SSH. You can use a terminal program like PuTTY (Windows) or Terminal (macOS and Linux). Open your terminal and type:

ssh root@your_router_ip

Replace your_router_ip with the IP address of your OpenWRT router. You'll be prompted for your password. Enter it and press Enter.

Once you're logged in, navigate to the Easy-RSA directory by typing:

cd /usr/share/easy-rsa/

Next, initialize the PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) by typing:

./easyrsa init-pki

This will create the necessary directories for storing your certificates and keys.

Now, build the certificate authority (CA) by typing:

./easyrsa build-ca

You'll be prompted for some information, such as your country, organization, and email address. You can leave most of these fields blank if you want. Just make sure to enter a common name for your CA. This is usually something like "My OpenVPN CA".

Next, generate the server certificate and key by typing:

./easyrsa build-server-full server nopass

This will generate a certificate and key for your OpenVPN server. You'll be prompted for some information again. You can leave most of these fields blank. The nopass option tells Easy-RSA not to encrypt the server key with a password. This is important because the OpenVPN server needs to be able to access the key without manual intervention.

Now, generate a client certificate and key for each user who will be connecting to your OpenVPN server. Type:

./easyrsa build-client-full client1 nopass

Replace client1 with the name of the user. You'll be prompted for some information again. You can leave most of these fields blank. Repeat this step for each user you want to create.

Finally, generate the Diffie-Hellman parameters by typing:

./easyrsa gen-dh

This can take a while, so be patient. The Diffie-Hellman parameters are used for key exchange and are important for security.

Once you've generated all the certificates and keys, you're ready to move on to the next step: configuring the OpenVPN server.

Configuring the OpenVPN Server

Alright, we've got our certificates and keys ready, so now it's time to configure the OpenVPN server on your OpenWRT router. This is where we tell the server how to handle connections and what security settings to use. Don't worry, we'll break it down step by step.

First, access your OpenWRT router's web interface again. Navigate to the "VPN" menu and then select "OpenVPN". This will take you to the OpenVPN configuration page.

Click on the "Add" button to create a new OpenVPN configuration. Give it a name, such as "MyOpenVPN".

In the "General Setup" tab, configure the following settings:

• Enabled: Check this box to enable the OpenVPN server.
• Interface: Select the interface that your router uses to connect to the internet. This is usually wan.
• Port: Choose a port for your OpenVPN server to listen on. The default port is 1194, but you can choose a different port if you want. Just make sure it's not a commonly used port.
• Protocol: Choose the protocol that your OpenVPN server will use. The default protocol is UDP, which is generally faster. You can also choose TCP, which is more reliable but slower.
• Mode: Select "server".

In the "Advanced Settings" tab, configure the following settings:

• TLS Authentication: Check this box to enable TLS authentication. This adds an extra layer of security to your VPN connection.
• LZO Compression: Check this box to enable LZO compression. This can improve performance, especially on slow connections.
• Push DNS: Check this box to push DNS settings to clients. This will tell clients to use your router's DNS server when they're connected to the VPN.
• Client to Client: Check this box to allow clients to communicate with each other through the VPN.

In the "Cryptographic Settings" tab, configure the following settings:

• CA Certificate: Copy the contents of the ca.crt file from the /usr/share/easy-rsa/pki/ca.crt file into this field.
• Server Certificate: Copy the contents of the server.crt file from the /usr/share/easy-rsa/pki/issued/server.crt file into this field.
• Server Key: Copy the contents of the server.key file from the /usr/share/easy-rsa/pki/private/server.key file into this field.
• DH Parameters: Copy the contents of the dh.pem file from the /usr/share/easy-rsa/pki/dh.pem file into this field.
• TLS Auth Key: Generate a TLS authentication key by typing openvpn --genkey --secret ta.key in the terminal. Then, copy the contents of the ta.key file into this field.

Click on the "Save" button to save your OpenVPN configuration.

Now, you'll need to configure the firewall to allow OpenVPN traffic. Go to the "Network" menu and select "Firewall".

Click on the "Add" button to create a new firewall rule. Configure the following settings:

• Name: Give the rule a name, such as "AllowOpenVPN".
• Protocol: Select the protocol that your OpenVPN server is using (UDP or TCP).
• Source zone: Select "wan".
• Destination zone: Select "device (input)".
• Destination port: Enter the port that your OpenVPN server is listening on.
• Action: Select "accept".

Click on the "Save" button to save the firewall rule.

Finally, restart the OpenVPN service by going to the "System" menu and selecting "Startup". Find the openvpn service and click on the "Restart" button.

Your OpenVPN server is now configured and running! In the next section, we'll show you how to connect to it from your client devices.

Connecting to the OpenVPN Server

Okay, so we've got our OpenVPN server all set up and ready to go. Now, let's talk about how to connect to it from your client devices, whether it's your laptop, smartphone, or tablet. Trust me, this is the moment where all your hard work pays off!

First, you'll need to install an OpenVPN client on your device. There are many free OpenVPN clients available for different operating systems. Here are a few popular options:

• Windows: OpenVPN GUI, Viscosity
• macOS: Tunnelblick, Viscosity
• Linux: OpenVPN (command line), NetworkManager OpenVPN plugin
• Android: OpenVPN Connect
• iOS: OpenVPN Connect

Once you've installed the OpenVPN client, you'll need to configure it to connect to your OpenVPN server. This usually involves creating a configuration file with the following information:

• Remote: The IP address or hostname of your OpenWRT router and the port that your OpenVPN server is listening on (e.g., your_router_ip 1194).
• Client: This tells the client that it's a client, not a server.
• Dev: The VPN tunnel device. Usually tun.
• Proto: The protocol that your OpenVPN server is using (UDP or TCP).
• Ca: The path to the ca.crt file.
• Cert: The path to the client certificate file (e.g., client1.crt).
• Key: The path to the client key file (e.g., client1.key).
• Tls-auth: The path to the ta.key file.
• Cipher: The encryption cipher to use. AES-256-CBC is a good choice.
• Comp-lzo: Enables LZO compression if you enabled it on the server.
• Verb: Sets the verbosity level of the logs. 3 is a good choice.

You'll need to copy the ca.crt, client1.crt, client1.key, and ta.key files from your OpenWRT router to your client device. You can use SCP (Secure Copy) or any other file transfer method.

Here's an example of an OpenVPN configuration file:

client
dev tun
proto udp
remote your_router_ip 1194
resolv-retry infinite
nobind
persist-key
persist-tun
ca ca.crt
cert client1.crt
key client1.key
tls-auth ta.key 1
cipher AES-256-CBC
comp-lzo
verb 3

Save the configuration file with a .ovpn extension (e.g., client1.ovpn).

Now, import the configuration file into your OpenVPN client and connect to the VPN. You should be prompted for your password (if you set one when generating the client key).

If everything is configured correctly, you should be able to connect to your OpenVPN server and access your home network securely from anywhere in the world!

Troubleshooting

Even with the best guides, sometimes things just don't go as planned. If you're having trouble setting up your OpenVPN server on your OpenWRT router, don't panic! Here are a few common issues and how to troubleshoot them:

• Connection Refused: This usually means that the OpenVPN server isn't running or that the firewall is blocking the connection. Make sure the OpenVPN service is started and that you've created a firewall rule to allow OpenVPN traffic.
• Certificate Errors: If you're getting certificate errors, make sure that you've copied the correct certificates and keys to your client device and that the paths in the configuration file are correct.
• Routing Issues: If you can connect to the VPN but can't access resources on your home network, you may need to configure routing on your OpenWRT router. This usually involves adding a static route to your OpenWRT router that tells it to route traffic for the VPN subnet to the VPN interface.
• DNS Issues: If you can connect to the VPN but can't resolve domain names, make sure that you've enabled the "Push DNS" option in the OpenVPN configuration and that your OpenWRT router is configured to use a DNS server.
• MTU Issues: If you're experiencing slow speeds or dropped connections, you may need to adjust the MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit) size. Try reducing the MTU size on your client device and/or your OpenWRT router.

If you're still having trouble, there are many online resources available to help you troubleshoot your OpenVPN setup. The OpenWRT forums and the OpenVPN documentation are good places to start.

Conclusion

So, there you have it! You've successfully set up an OpenVPN server on your OpenWRT router. Give yourself a pat on the back! This might have seemed like a daunting task at first, but with a little patience and guidance, you've managed to create a secure and private connection to your home network from anywhere in the world.

Now you can enjoy the benefits of enhanced security, remote access, and content unblocking. You can browse the web with peace of mind, access your files and devices from anywhere, and bypass those pesky geo-restrictions. All thanks to your very own OpenVPN server on your OpenWRT router.

Remember to keep your OpenWRT router and OpenVPN software up to date to ensure that you have the latest security patches and features. And don't be afraid to experiment with different settings to optimize your VPN connection for your specific needs.

Happy VPN-ing!