IKEv2 Protocol and VPN Setup Guide

Hello, I'm Harmanjot, a network analyst with a specialization in computer networking. Today, I'll guide you through the comprehensive process of deploying IKEV2 VPN, a highly trusted VPN application. This tool enables you to establish secure, encrypted tunnels for data transfer between computers that are not on the same local network.

What is the IKEv2 Protocol?

IKEv2 (Internet Key Exchange version 2) is a tunneling protocol that establishes and handles security associations in the IPsec protocol suite. It provides mutual authentication, ensures data integrity, and supports encryption for secure data transmission. IKEv2 is known for its resilience in maintaining a VPN connection during network changes and its support for MOBIKE (Mobility and Multi-homing).

How to Set Up an IKEv2 VPN

1. Domain Configuration:

- Choose a domain name for your VPN server. For this experiment, i'm going to use sub-domain name ikev2test.ivovpn.com

- Ensure the domain name resolves to the correct IP address by creating an appropriate A record in the DNS and confirming its propagation.

- This setup is crucial for obtaining a server certificate from Let's Encrypt.

2. Prepare the Server:

- Start with a clean installation of the Ubuntu Server.

- Gain root access to the server.

3. Download and Run the Setup Script:

- Download the setup script:

 wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jawj/IKEv2-setup/master/setup.sh        

chmod u+x setup.sh        

./setup.sh        

- Follow the prompts to enter the necessary details. Ensure to use a strong password for the login user

For This Example, I'm Going To Create User usertest1234

After all the steps are finished, you will be shown this screen.

Now Install Strongwang On your mobile devices and connect to your personal vpn server.

Fill out username and password

Finally Your Personal VPN is ready to use

4. Post-Installation Commands:

- Check the status of IPsec and VPN connections:

 sudo ipsec statusall          

- Monitor traffic and connections:

sudo iptables -L -v         

- View real-time logs of connections and disconnections:

sudo tail -f /var/log/syslog        

5. Manage VPN Users:

- To add or change VPN users, edit the IPsec secrets file:

  sudo nano /etc/ipsec.secrets           

This guide provides a straightforward approach to setting up an IKEv2 VPN, ensuring secure and reliable connectivity for users.