[VU+ Duo2] How to prove my VPN connection is being used?

[harryajh]

Just setup an OpenVpn connection using my PureVpn account on my Vu+ Duo2 box, all looks good (see attached)

Is it possible though to actually see all network traffic is using that vpn connection?

I'm sure it is by default but for peace of mind, is there something like in Windows (sorry gulp!), where you have a graph of network activity by interface etc...?

thanks

 

[Avalon]

A MIPS CPU of the type found in the Solo2/Duo2 can't manage any meaningful level of encryption using what are considered 'secure' encryption standards at near line speed. Also running a VPN on the box won't magically protect the other devices on the LAN unless you set them to connect via the Duo2. To have any chance of getting a secure connection at near line speed you'd need to run it on much more powerful box *or* a box with hardware encryption that is supported. AMD's Geode's used to be OK for this, but encryption standards have moved on. PfSense on x86 would work for the whole LAN, an ARM based router such as the AC656U/AC68U/AC68 would probably just about cope with basic FTTC/VDSL, but not with an 80/20 profile, OpenVPN unfortunately struggles to scale up as it's not multi threaded.

In general I can see no real reason why you'd want VPN on a Duo2 for TV use, if anyone actually looked at network traffic and you were (for example) doing something that would require small data packets to be sent at quite regular and predictable intervals, then it would be easy to identify all people with similar usage patterns and where they were connecting to. Streaming via Kodi is legal in so much as it's not currently criminal in the UK (civil is quite different).

In terms of confirming your VPN use, I beleive Pure have a checking tool on the web site, you could also just check your external IP.

 

[copex]

telnet / ssh to your box and use the traceroute (i.e traceroute bbc.co.uk) and it will show how the traffic is routing, you can then use tracert in windows via a command window and compare the two :-0 (i.e win+R - cmd {enter} - tracert bbc.co.uk)

hope it helps

 

[birdman]

telnet / ssh to your box and use the traceroute

..or ifconfig, to see how much traffic has gone through each interface.

 

[harryajh]

..or ifconfig, to see how much traffic has gone through each interface.

thanks guys, sorry for being a bit of a Donkey at this but found this script -

while ifconfig eth0 | grep 'RX bytes'; do sleep 3; done

which gives something like -

root@vuduo2:~# while ifconfig eth0 | grep 'RX bytes'; do sleep 3; done
RX bytes:19132491 (18.2 MiB) TX bytes:1721999 (1.6 MiB)
...........

and ifconfig eth0 gives -

eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:1D:EC:09:9F:73
inet addr:192.168.0.29 Bcast:192.168.0.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
inet6 addr: fd11:e358:abce:0:21d:ecff:fe09:9f73%4937760/64 Scope:Global
inet6 addr: fe80::21d:ecff:fe09:9f73%4937760/64 Scope:Link
inet6 addr: 2a02:c7d:8cc:5c00:21d:ecff:fe09:9f73%4937760/64 Scope:Global
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:30533 errors:0 dropped:15 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:13407 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:19165082 (18.2 MiB) TX bytes:1735597 (1.6 MiB)

how can I tell if the VPN is being used from that? - running or not, it seems to give the same output!

 

[birdman]

Are you using VPN for access to this box from an external location, or to get this box to access an external location over a VPN?

If the former, you should have VPN on your router (or whatever connects to the outside world).

I think...

 

[harryajh]

Are you using VPN for access to this box from an external location, or to get this box to access an external location over a VPN?

If the former, you should have VPN on your router (or whatever connects to the outside world).

I think...

I was hoping to use a VPN from my box to access the outside world, on my Mac & PC I connect using the PureVPN client and all Internet access is via the VPN.

I wanted do the same the same with my VU box making it more secure - it does appear to run correctly but just wanted to prove it's not using the "insecure" connection

 

[birdman]

Doesn't VPN set up a separate device (tun0?)
You only showed the result of ifconfig eth0, not ifconfig, which would show all interfaces.

 

[Avalon]

I was hoping to use a VPN from my box to access the outside world, on my Mac & PC I connect using the PureVPN client and all Internet access is via the VPN.

I wanted do the same the same with my VU box making it more secure - it does appear to run correctly but just wanted to prove it's not using the "insecure" connection

'more secure' is an interesting choice of phrase. You may want to look at your VPN provider carefully, specifically it's pushing of a NAT firewall as a payable option and it's creating a need for said option.

have a read of this on reddit/

 

[harryajh]

Doesn't VPN set up a separate device (tun0?)
You only showed the result of ifconfig eth0, not ifconfig, which would show all interfaces.

only shows 2 interfaces, OpenVPN is showing as "running" -

root@vuduo2:~# ifconfig
eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:1D:EC:09:9F:73
inet addr:192.168.0.29 Bcast:192.168.0.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
inet6 addr: fd11:e358:abce:0:21d:ecff:fe09:9f73%4937744/64 Scope:Global
inet6 addr: fe80::21d:ecff:fe09:9f73%4937744/64 Scope:Link
inet6 addr: 2a02:c7d:8cc:5c00:21d:ecff:fe09:9f73%4937744/64 Scope:Global
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:1398801 errors:0 dropped:19 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:427819 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:1657179425 (1.5 GiB) TX bytes:369930427 (352.7 MiB)

lo Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
inet6 addr: ::1%4937168/128 Scope:Host
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:65536 Metric:1
RX packets:577 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:577 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:192587 (188.0 KiB) TX bytes:192587 (188.0 KiB)

 

[guffe2005]

Just setup an OpenVpn connection using my PureVpn account on my Vu+ Duo2 box, all looks good (see attached)

Is it possible though to actually see all network traffic is using that vpn connection?

I'm sure it is by default but for peace of mind, is there something like in Windows (sorry gulp!), where you have a graph of network activity by interface etc...?

thanks

Will you share some tips for setup purevpn for my vu+duo which files i should use etc .Thx

 

[SpaceRat]

You shouldn't use your E2 box as an endpoint for internet connections at all!
Such tunnel connections - often falsely referred to as "VPN" - are internet connections, rendering your router's firewall useless!

A VPN is - or rather: a real VPN would be - a connection
- between two (or more) trustworthy LANs
or
- between a trustworthy LAN and one (or more) trustworthy client(s).