Establishing secure links between home networks via VPNs
Establishing secure links between home networks via VPNs
Connect your home network to family members' local networks across cities. Splitting the VPN tunnel is necessary so users can access resources directly on their own devices. The VPN will reach our servers—like file and backup sites, old consoles (XBox, gaming PCs), Apple TVs, Chromecasts, etc.—using their unique IP ranges such as 192.168.1.x or 192.168.2.x. Affordable or free solutions are needed. Asus routers support VPN but often use outdated or insecure PPTP, and OpenVPN isn’t straightforward to split. What options do you suggest? Vendors, please don’t spam this message.
I'm also seeking ways to set up file servers that can copy to one another automatically. This way, each person's home server becomes the main file server, and it then sends copies to a central backup server at your residence for safekeeping and recovery purposes.
Do you have extensive experience managing Linux systems? Otherwise, file synchronization will be challenging. You're not seeking a VPN; what you require is an "Intranet," which is frequently used within company locations but remains less common due to the complexity of setup and the need for high upload speeds with minimal latency. Fiberglass connections and 1 Gbit speeds are essential on both sides. In essence, you're establishing another network between existing networks, functioning like a virtual Ethernet cable. I've worked with this technology before—my last project involved Windows Server 2003.
I operate in the IT sector. I have knowledge of costly business solutions and am seeking more affordable alternatives for personal use.
Previously we relied on a method called "Hamachi" to create a virtual network across the internet. It was useful for running games without TCP support. I’m not certain if this technology is still available. It seems capable of sharing files and folders, plus allowing PCs to connect as local machines. Other options might exist, but I haven’t explored them recently. For server synchronization, I currently use "Nextcloud." The main issue is it doesn’t support multiple servers—right now it’s limited to a single server. Data stays on clients even if the server goes offline, but restoring everything after a reset requires re-syncing all files. In my setup, I back up the entire directory to another server using QSFP28 cables at 25 Gbps. With RAM caching, this process takes roughly 14 hours for several terabytes of data. From a cost perspective, I’d advise against this approach. If each location had a local NAS running, synchronization could be handled via Linux. Ideally, you’d have two directories per server, storing your own and the other’s data separately. This way, corruption or changes affect only one server, while both retain duplicates, making it easier to recover intact files. If a better solution existed, I’d love to hear about it.
Thank you for the video. This matches precisely with what I aim to achieve, especially regarding Synology NAS file replication via VPN.
No one has shared experiences about using Asus routers with AsusWRT for OpenVPN setup across separate devices. The AsusWRT configuration for "Direct clients to redirect Internet traffic" could potentially help manage the tunnel, but further details would be needed.
Tailscale offers the easiest option for connecting your personal devices across various networks. For linking larger, more complex networks, IPSec VPNs are likely the better choice.
Tailscale seems promising. It might not suit my needs well because I need to link several family networks, but it could work for individual user setups. I should look deeper into their security features, data monitoring, and mining policies before deciding to install it, as I’m unfamiliar with them.