Build Your Own IPsec VPN Server in Minutes
Ever wanted to run your own VPN server but thought it was too complicated? The hwdsl2/setup-ipsec-vpn project makes it dead simple with automated scripts that handle everything for you.
What It Does
This GitHub repo provides bash scripts to set up a full-featured IPsec VPN server supporting multiple protocols:
- IPsec/L2TP – Works out of the box with most devices
- Cisco IPsec – Compatible with legacy Cisco VPN clients
- IKEv2 – Modern, fast, and secure (especially for mobile)
It auto-configures Libreswan (IPsec), xl2tpd (L2TP), and supports Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, Amazon Linux, and Alpine.
Why It’s Cool
- One-command setup – No manual config tweaking required
- 26K+ GitHub stars – Battle-tested by the community
- Multi-protocol support – Covers almost any VPN use case
- Cloud-friendly – Works on AWS, Azure, GCP, or your own server
How to Try It
- Spin up a Linux server (fresh install recommended)
- Run:
wget https://get.vpnsetup.net -O vpn.sh && sudo sh vpn.sh - Follow the prompts to set credentials
That’s it. You’ll get connection instructions for all supported protocols.
Final Thoughts
This is one of those rare projects that actually simplifies something notoriously finicky. Whether you need a personal VPN for security, testing, or bypassing geo-restrictions, these scripts make it trivial. Bonus: It’s way cheaper than commercial VPN services if you host it on a $5/month VPS.
Check out the GitHub repo for docs and advanced options.
Originally shared via @githubprojects