Bitcoin Forum

I have read some posts that suggested that creating a VPN using a virtual private server is better than using a commercial VPN service. Can someone explain the difference?

And if so, what is the best way to get started with this kind of project? Do you have any tutorials that you can recommend?

The advantages of running your own VPN that I can think of:

- Dedicated IP address for a low cost (which is also less likely to be blacklisted by websites).
- You don't have to trust the third-party provider with your data.

There are already some open source projects. I suggest you take a look at Algo VPN[1]. It also supports most of the hosting providers out there (Vulr, DigitalOcean, Linode, Google Cloud, Amazon, etc.) so it shouldn't be that difficult to set up.

[1] https://github.com/trailofbits/algo

You have to run a private server, which will cost at least a few dollars per month.

I took a look at this thread, they say it is about $6 per month in Digital Ocean:
https://www.quora.com/How-much-does-it-cost-to-create-a-VPN-service

If you run that Server via a 3rd party cloud service provider, will it not void any anonymity? They have your details when you subscribe for these services, so you have no control over that?

What about the Man-in-the-Middle attack vector, where your traffic (data) goes through a local Internet Service provider? So, even if you run the Server from your premises, you still have to go through your own Service provider for the bandwidth.  ??? 

It's not difficult, but to maintain true anonymity you would have to jump though a few hoops 1st.

1) Find a server host that allows crypto payments and sign up using a disposable email account using some private form of payment from a location that cannot be traced to you.

2) Make sure said provider does not automatically keep logs of all traffic in and out of said server.

3) Be aware of the fact of that if it is just for you and not commercially available that if someone does want to find you and subpoenas the host and starts to monitor the traffic they will know that if you are the only one using it that so it's all your traffic.

4) Any issues with open VPN or any of the other software you use will have to be diagnosed by you.

5) As sated above all the traffic will be from the 1 IP you have with the host.

6) ???

-Dave

As an alternative to using a third-party VPN service, you can also set up your own VPN server at home. You can usually find built-in VPN servers in higher end home routers. You just have to activate and configure it using the router's control panel.
Another option is to use VPN server software on your own computer. Just be sure that it's a computer you can leave on constantly, not the one you turn off when you leave the house. You can find free and open source VPN servers software for every operating system, including Windows, Mac, and Linux.

A home VPN can provide you with an encrypted tunnel when you use a public Wi-Fi connection to access the Internet, like in a coffee shop, and it can also be useful for connecting to country-specific services when traveling abroad. In this case it is important to have a fast upload speed with your home Internet connection. If you don't have much upload bandwidth, you might just want to sign up for a paid VPN service or build one via a third-party hosting or cloud service provider.

To counter this: I consider it an advantage of a VPN to have a shared IP. That way, a website can't know for sure I am the same user when I return.

I've used OpenVPN on a $4 per year VPS (with shared IP), it worked fine.

Besides OpenVPN, does anyone here have any experience with WireGuard? WireGuard (https://www.wireguard.com/) is a slightly newer open source solution that's worth mentioning, developed by Edge Security since 2015. According to my research, WireGuard underwent a security audit in 2020 and became part of the Linux kernel in version 5.6, so it is likely to become a serious competitor to OpenVPN in the future.

According to Top10VPN (https://www.top10vpn.com/guides/wireguard-vs-openvpn/), WireGuard is much faster than OpenVPN. It also consumes around 15% less data, handles network changes better, and appears to be just as secure.

Well your own VPN you'd have more control over it I suppose but idk for me it's just so much easier to just purchase one and get access to a wide range of IPs

Well, that's true. Buying a VPN service is definitely easier, but I believe that owning your own VPN server has many more advantages than just having more control. As OmegaStarScream pointed out in its first response to this topic, you don't have to trust the third-party provider with your data. There have been reports of low-quality VPN providers doing shady things with your data.

Even if you run your own VPN server (probably on a VPS), your VPS provider can still spy on you. I have no idea what's more likely: a VPN provider could do it by default, and a VPS provider might need more custom work to get your data. But at a large VPN provider, I expect many more users, so you'll be "one of many" and might be able to "hide in the crowd".

I understand. However, I believe it is less likely that the cloud hosting provider (VPS provider) monitors (and logs) all incoming and outgoing traffic (if it is large enough). This would require enormous amounts of storage space. Assuming, of course, that there is no court order or anything along those lines.