VPN

How to automatically connect to a Virtual private network system to create secure point-to-point or site-to-site connections

Installation

Remove systemd-networkd configuration and install NetworkManager

rm /etc/systemd/network/*

pacman -Syu networkmanager networkmanager-openvpn

systemctl disable systemd-networkd

systemctl enable NetworkManager

Download OpenVPN configuration files from VPN provider

wget https://privadovpn.com/apps/ovpn_configs.zip

unzip ovpn_configs.zip 'zrh*'

/home/wildw1ng/.vpn/zrh-001.ovpn

comment: route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 # vpn_gateway

Import OpenVPN configuration files to NetworkManager

nmcli connection import type openvpn file /home/wildw1ng/.vpn/zrh-001.ovpn

Modify new NetworkManager VPN configuration

/etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/zrh-001.nmconnection

password-flags=0
username=USERNAME
[vpn-secrets]
password=PASSWORD

Modify NetworkManager connection to reconnect indefinitely

nmcli connection edit zrh-001

nmcli> set connection.autoconnect yes
nmcli> set connection.autoconnect-retries 0
nmcli> save persistent
nmcli> quit

Automatically start a VPN connection

nmcli connection

Copy UUID of VPN connection you want to connect automatically

nmcli connection edit enp1s0

nmcli> set connection.secondaries d46e4a92-778e-4792-b085-e1f638ecb8e3
nmcli> save persistent
nmcli> quit

systemctl restart NetworkManager

Manual VPN connection

nmcli connection up zrh-001

nmcli connection down zrh-001

nmcli connection delete id zrh-001

Check public IP address

ip route

curl ifconfig.co

curl ifconfig.me

curl icanhazip.com

whois $(curl ifconfig.co)