How to Implement a Double VPN with OpenVPN and WireGuard

Implementing a double VPN setup can significantly enhance your online security and privacy. A Double VPN configuration routes your traffic through two different VPN servers, which provides an extra layer of encryption. In this guide, we will explore how to implement a Double VPN using two popular VPN protocols: OpenVPN and WireGuard. We will provide detailed instructions on how to set up both VPN technologies, ensuring you can achieve optimal security with minimal latency.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure that you have the following:

• A Linux-based server or virtual machine (VM).
• Two VPN providers that support OpenVPN and WireGuard protocols.
• Basic knowledge of Linux commands and SSH access.
• Root or sudo privileges on your server.

Step 1: Installing OpenVPN on Your Server

The first part of setting up Double VPN involves installing OpenVPN on your server. Follow these steps to install and configure OpenVPN:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install openvpn -y

Once OpenVPN is installed, you need to configure it. Obtain the configuration files (typically .ovpn) from your VPN provider and place them in the /etc/openvpn directory.

sudo cp /path/to/your/config.ovpn /etc/openvpn/

Now, edit the configuration file to ensure that the VPN connects automatically on boot:

sudo nano /etc/openvpn/config.ovpn

Inside the configuration file, ensure that the following options are set:

auth-user-pass
daemon

Save and exit the file. Then, start the OpenVPN service:

sudo systemctl start openvpn@config
sudo systemctl enable openvpn@config

Step 2: Installing WireGuard on Your Server

WireGuard is known for its simplicity and speed. To install WireGuard on your server, run the following commands:

sudo apt install wireguard wireguard-tools -y

Once installed, you will need to generate a WireGuard private and public key pair. Run these commands to generate the keys:

wg genkey | tee privatekey | wg pubkey > publickey

Next, configure the WireGuard interface by creating a new configuration file in the /etc/wireguard directory:

sudo nano /etc/wireguard/wg0.conf

Paste the following configuration into the file:

[Interface]
PrivateKey = [your_private_key]
Address = 10.0.0.2/24
ListenPort = 51820

[Peer]
PublicKey = [peer_public_key]
Endpoint = [peer_endpoint_ip]:51820
AllowedIPs = 0.0.0.0/0

Replace the placeholders with your own details. After saving the file, bring up the WireGuard interface:

sudo wg-quick up wg0
sudo systemctl enable wg-quick@wg0

Step 3: Configuring Double VPN Routing

Now that you have both OpenVPN and WireGuard set up, the next step is to configure the routing for Double VPN. The idea is to route all traffic from your OpenVPN server through the WireGuard server.

To achieve this, you need to modify your routing table and configure iptables to forward traffic correctly.

sudo iptables -t nat -A POSTROUTING -o wg0 -j MASQUERADE
sudo iptables -A FORWARD -i tun0 -o wg0 -m state --state RELATED,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
sudo iptables -A FORWARD -i wg0 -o tun0 -j ACCEPT

These commands ensure that traffic from OpenVPN is routed through the WireGuard tunnel. Save the iptables configuration to persist through reboots:

sudo sh -c 'iptables-save > /etc/iptables/rules.v4'

Step 4: Verifying the Double VPN Connection

To verify that your double VPN is functioning properly, first check that both OpenVPN and WireGuard are active:

sudo systemctl status openvpn@config
sudo systemctl status wg-quick@wg0

Next, check the IP routing table to ensure that traffic is being correctly forwarded:

ip route show

You should see routes that indicate that traffic is being routed through both OpenVPN and WireGuard.

Additionally, verify your public IP address to confirm that the double VPN is in effect. You can use the following command to check your current public IP:

curl ifconfig.me

The IP address should correspond to the IP of your second VPN server (WireGuard), not the first VPN server (OpenVPN).

Step 5: Automating the Double VPN Connection on Boot

To ensure that the Double VPN connection is automatically established upon reboot, you need to add the necessary commands to your server’s startup routine. OpenVPN should already be set to start automatically. For WireGuard, create a systemd service to start it on boot:

sudo systemctl enable wg-quick@wg0

This command will ensure that the WireGuard interface comes up automatically after a reboot.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can successfully implement a Double VPN with OpenVPN and WireGuard, increasing your online security and anonymity. With the additional layer of encryption and the speed of WireGuard combined with the stability of OpenVPN, your online activities will be significantly more secure from prying eyes.