How to setup VPN Server in Linode

This guide will help you to set up a VPN server with the popular cloud infrastructure provider Linode using UTunnel VPN.

UTunnel facilitates easy VPN server deployment with many cloud providers including Linode. To make server deployment even easier and hassle-free for Linode users, we have made UTunnel VPN One-Click App available in the Linode marketplace.

Please find the detailed instructions below on how to set up your Linode VPN server using UTunnel:

1. Log in to your Linode account and click on the StackScripts menu on the left side of the page.

How to setup VPN server in Linode Stackscript

2. On StackScripts page, select 'Community StackScripts' tab and type utunnel in the search field, it should display the utunnel-vpn StackScript in the table. Click on 'utunnel/utunnel-vpn' script (highlighted in the below image)

How to setup VPN server in Linode community StackScripts

3 Click on 'Deploy new Linode' button on UTunnel-VPN's StackScript page.

How to setup VPN server in Linode deploy new Linode

4. Select Region, Linode Plan of your choice and click on Create button on right side of the page.

How to setup VPN server in Linode region and LInode plan

5. Note down the newly created Linode's IP address when the deployment is completed and it's ready to use.

The first stage ends here. Next, you have to login to UTunnel dashboard and proceed with Create Server and complete the payment.

1. Login to UTunel dashboard and  click on either Create a Server now option or select Create Server button to create a new server.

How to setup VPN server in Linode server tab

2. You will land on the Create Server screen. Here you can provide your billing address details. This step is optional. You can either provide the details and click on the Proceed button or select the Skip button to do it later from My Account tab on your dashboard.

How to setup VPN server in Linode billing address

3. The next step is to select On-Premise option and enter theserver details as given below:

  • Package: You can select from Basic or Standard subscription options
  • Server Type: Select On-Premise
  • Server Name: An easily identifiable name of your choice
  • IP address: Enter your server IP address
  • VPN accounts: Select the number of VPN users you want to allow access to this server
  • Coupon: Enter if you have any coupon available

Click on the Proceed button toward the right bottom of the screen.

How to setup VPN server in Linode create server

4.  You will be now on the Order Summary screen which displays the details of your order. Click PROCEED.

How to setup VPN server in Linode order summary

5. Now enter your credit card details as required on the screen and click on Pay Now option.

How to setup VPN server in Linode payment details

6.You will be redirected to the dashboard now. Here you can see the status of server creation.

How to setup VPN server in Linode server creation

7. You will be redirected to the Server Details screen where the registration token is displayed. Please copy the registration token to safe place, this token is required when you deploy the server.

How to setup VPN server in Linode server overview

8. Now it's the time to connect to your server via SSH. You will need sudo access to complete below steps. After the successful login, execute below commands. Remember to replace the string 'REGISTRATION_TOKEN' in the first command with the actual token you obtained in above step.

sudo /utunnel/bin/utnservice update

sudo /utunnel/bin/utnservice register REGISTRATION_TOKEN

Now it's the time to start UTunnel Service on your server. Run following command for the same.

sudo /utunnel/bin/utnservice start

 

9. Make sure that inbound connections to the following ports are allowed to accept VPN connections.

Ports used for OpenVPN connections

  • TCP 443
  • UDP 443
  • UDP 53 (if scramble VPN is enabled)

Ports used for IPSEC connections

  • UDP 4500
  • UDP 500

Ports used for managing UTunnel services like live sessions, firewall, and site-to-site tunneling.

  • TCP 38081
     

Now your Linode VPN server would be ready to accept VPN connections. Invite users to your server and start using VPN.

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