Running openVPN server on the same PC as well?

[joshmygosh 1]

I have a PC and a laptop. The PC uses the airvpn services constantly and in the rare cases when I use the laptop on public wifis, i would like the connection to go via VPN connection to the home PC which has the airVPN on.

So I'm gonna have to run the openVPN server and client at the same time i suppose? (since the airVPN cllient uses openVPN right?)

First is that possible, and if it is, is there a simple tutorial for newbies on how to set it up. I tried couple already but they are either outdated or are written for network administrators

[Staff 9894]

I have a PC and a laptop. The PC uses the airvpn services constantly and in the rare cases when I use the laptop on public wifis, i would like the connection to go via VPN connection to the home PC which has the airVPN on.

So I'm gonna have to run the openVPN server and client at the same time i suppose? (since the airVPN cllient uses openVPN right?)

First is that possible, and if it is, is there a simple tutorial for newbies on how to set it up. I tried couple already but they are either outdated or are written for network administrators

Hello!

On the home PC yes, you should run different instances of OpenVPN, one in server mode and the other, connecting to an Air server, in client mode. In other words, you should set up a home VPN, accessible from your laptop when you're around, on the same machine which connects to our servers. The PC would act simultaneously as an OpenVPN client and server, needing adjustments to routing table and gateways. The setup requires advanced networking experience. As far as we know unfortunately there are no tutorials around.

Kind regards

[NaDre 156]

If you hope to do this using Windows, you are doomed to be disappointed.

I was just barely able to get my Windows routing and firewall set up so that I could use AirVPN for P2P while using the native gateway for most activities (so I have the full bandwidth and don't trigger security alerts on sites I use). I tried more than one configuration in an effort to do this, any of which I know from experience would work on Linux. Then I finally lucked out. It worry that I will apply a Windows update at some point and it will break what I have working.

Windows may have a GUI that a lot of people like, but it is a very poor operating system at its core. And so people who might be able and inclined to write tutorials of the sort you are looking for write them for Linux, not Windows.

[NaDre 156]

I should also have pointed out that even if you got this working, then when you used your laptop at a WiFi hot spot your download capacity would be limited to your PC-s upload capacity. Generally in North America home internet services do not not have a particularly large upload capacity (a small fraction of their download capacity). And presumably your PC is using some (or a lot?) of it for some purpose already?

[joshmygosh 1]

Ok If it can't be done I suppose we don't have to use the OpenVPN for server but newbie friendly solutions like Hamachi or TeamViewer VPN?

Has anyone used those with success? Are they secure?

[NaDre 156]

If you are willing to spend more money, why not just get another AirVPN account? I know enough about Linux that I could set up a Linux box in the basement as my gateway to the internet (I used to do this) and share one AirVPN account on the two Windows laptops I have in the house for the GUI (my wife does not want to learn Gnome). But I decided the value of my time to do this (the novelty of doing this sort of thing wore off long ago) exceeded the cost of another AirVPN account.

It is a bit awkward because AirVPN requires you to have another E-mail account. And in order to get the servers set up for the second account you have to log in as the other account and download another set of server definitions. And if you have two full sets of servers on one machine, you may exceed the limit of the number (50 I believe) of servers the OpenVPN client will show in the list of choices. I use different each account and its list on different machines though.

[joshmygosh 1]

That's an option of course, but I didn't realize it will be so hard to do this.

I still would like to do it like that if there is an easy way.

Maybe I can do it via the router i've got? it's dd-wrt based