Does setting up VPN require public IP?

VPN
1

I’m a web developer and getting into a debate with someone for saying that VPN is free to setup. I’m not really convince and I told that person that a 5$ VPS give you public IP and you can host any database on there because you got your own Linux box for only 5$. Still that person still not convince. That person is kinda old school and probably thinking that I’m talking about dedicated server.

I’m not a network guy but I’m sure for VPN to work you still need to forward the port which is impossible to do with the ISP unless you buy the static IP.

2

If you want the VPN accessible by (or connecting to) the public, then you will need to have a public address.

Otherwise, you can keep the VPN in local LAN using private address.

3

Well, since you are connected to internet (already), you have a public IP and thus requirements are met, only problem is that each time router/modem is restarted your IP will change, or in some cases ISP can force IP change or whatever (not sure whats the name for that).

Second problem is to know IP all the time and for that problem there is DDNS which can solve the problem of changing IP.

To conclude, you realy don’t need to have static IP to have a VPN, I am connecting to my home VPN to reach my home lab remotely.

Hope this is the answer you are looking for.

4

I’m not a network guy but I’m sure for VPN to work you still need to forward the port which is impossible to do with the ISP unless you buy the static IP.

If you only have a dynamic IP, you can use one of the many services which will change your ISP’s dynamic-ip to your chosen sub-domain name.

For example, duckdns.org is a free service which does this. You choose a name, like ‘blah’ and your subdomain is blah.duckdns.org. With a duckdns-client on your router or PC, blah.duckdns.org will stay updated with your current IP-number.

5

Alright right. Then the 5$ VPS is a better choice in this case.

6

Do you have some sort of guide to that?

7

I’ve try that with dynDNS. Forwarding my machine to my router do nothing because my IP is still behind their firewall. It seem like I can’t get it to work both dynamic IP chanager and VPN. This is why I ask this question since my public IP is reserved by my ISP.

8

As /u/ballena8892 said, you have a lot of DDNS services, free and payed, main difference which I see as “normal” user is to be able to use your own domain or having some subdomain eg. gthell.ddns.net, which again, for me does not matter and I’m just fine with subdomain.

9

I suggest to have VPN server and DDNS service on router as it’s more router feature than client machine feature - hence, no forwarding needed.

Also depends what router and router OS you have and such you will need to follow tutorials on web.