Add Remote (Cloud) Linux VPS to My Local Network

og1

HI:

I've researched my need to add my Linux VPS (Debian 8 running a software PBX application) to my local network (as if the Linux VPS was just another server on my local network behind my router/firewall) for a week now with reach no success in identifying a clear, reliable soultion. I'm very surprised that with all the use of Linux VPSs in the cloud for business applications, I'd thought adding these cloud based VPSs to a local network securely would be a standard configuration using various VPN and/or IPSec technology. Maybe it' me feeling the documentation just is not great and people aren't explaining the setup well. I don't see a straight forward solution using OpenVPN or IPSec.

I have the Linux VPS (has static, public IP) on from my hosting company running perfectly. But my PBX application needs to see the Linux VPS running the software PBX, my IP phones, and my local router/firewall on the same subnet behind my router/firewall (has static, public IP). My initial thinking was create the VPN server on my local LAN using one of my MAC computers (create a partition to run Debian Linux on the Mac Hardware which I've done before with no issues), or put the VPN server on my Metrotik Router/Firewall (but I'm worried that may be problematic for the router). I'm learning towards creating a Linux Server on my local network on the Mac hardware, I know that works well.

Then create a VPN tunnel/connection extending my local network over the public Internet to my Linux VPS running as a permanent VPN client, but the client is a Linux Server instead of the normal way we think of a VPN client as some temporary laptop, etc..

I probably needed to check with my hosting company if this can get through their firewall protecting my LInux VPS. I hoping they see this type of thing all the time.

Does someone have detailed step by step instructions (or suggest a better) way to put a remote Linux VPS (cloud VPS) on a local network (subnet) such that the Linux VPS appears to my computers and IP phones on my LAN as if it was part of my network?

Apologies if this seems trivial. I was hoping this would be something that is very common, I'd research an application method and go. It's turned out to be hard to identify a solution that I have confidence in starting to implement. I don't want to buy any new hardware locally. I have more computing power locally than I need to set this desired VPN configuration up.

Thanks for everyone's help and time. Greatly appreciated.

TinCanTech

You probably want a bridged VPN.

Start here:
https://openvpn.net/index.php/open-source/documentation/howto.html

og1

Hi:

Thank you for the information TinCanTech. Greatly appreciated.

I've been looking at the Bridging technique for OpenVPN. I'm not sure if you're recommending bridging vs routing for my specific application of trying to put a Linux cloud VPS on my local network using OpenVPN (or IPSec).

Have you or some of your colleagues used the bridging technique for OpenVPN before? From what I've read, people warn that if you can use routing, use routing vs bridging?

Before I go down the road of research the Bridging technique more and then onto test and implementation, could someone who has used the bridging technique to put a Linux cloud VPS on their local subnet, please comment on the effectiveness and any issues to watch out for when using OpenVPN for bridging?

Thanks for your help and time. Greatly appreciated.

og1

If anyone has experience adding a Linux VPS (remote) to their local LAN using Bridging it would be good if they can share what they did. Thanks. I have/can go through the available documentation no problems (I do research for a living), most of it is not very good. What I'm asking is how people have had success with this specific application of OpenVPN to add a remove Linux VPS to their local subnet. Whethe using bridging or another technique. Thanks for your help and time. Greatly appreciated.

TinCanTech

I would recommend you simply follow the HOWTO: For OpenVPN Community Edition and try a straight forward tunnel (eg. Not a bridged setup) and see if it works. You need to understand your network requirements in order to decide what kind of VPN you need.

og1

Thanks for the advise TinCanTech.

One day I'll do that experiment with the routed VPN.

But right now, from the background research I've already done, and my need to have the remote VPS appear like it's on my subnet to the rest of he hosts on my network, I'm asking the community if anyone has successfully added a remove Linux VPS to their subnet using the OpenVPN bridge config. Especially to support a PBX application.

Thanks all for your help and time.