![\"\"](\"https:\/\/temp.noi3.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/image.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n I started using GNU\/Linux in 2002, back when I saved up the $79.99 necessary to buy SuSE Linux 8.1 Professional as a boxed set from the Best Buy across the street from the Staten Island mall for my 14th birthday. I started hosting my own servers in 2005, and put together systems for my own business\u2019 use since early 2011. I didn\u2019t do everything outlined here immediately; it was slowly built piece by piece over a long time. I never documented it in a way that would allow my grandma to use it. In 22 years, I can\u2019t remember reading GNU\/Linux documentation that felt like it was designed for normal people. That\u2019s what I\u2019m looking to do here.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n From 2002 to the present, two things remain true:<\/p>\n\n\n\n So much of the open source user experience is not designed for normal people<\/strong>. Whether it was using NDISwrapper 20 years ago to get wifi to work<\/a> or messing with SCSI emulation<\/a> to burn a CD, GNU\/Linux is pain. It\u2019s all pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s painful enough that people will happily trade their data, sovereignty, privacy, and their rights to avoid ever having to deal with it; and I can\u2019t blame them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This has to change. As of 2024, most of you live your life:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now is a time like no other for you to feel empowered to build systems that you<\/strong> control & understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My goal with this guide is not to tell you the way you HAVE<\/strong> to do something, or to imply that my way is the best. My goal is to inspire you by showing you what\u2019s possible. You don\u2019t have to be a computer engineer or someone with an IQ of 160 to figure this all out. And, admittedly, to inspire capable developers to look at the pain points scattered throughout this guide (of which there are many) and decide \u201cenough is enough; let\u2019s make this better.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The fun here is in building your own system, your own way<\/em>. This is my sovereign cloud; there are many like it, but this one is mine. I can\u2019t wait to see how you build yours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Apple and Google push users into closed ecosystems while removing options for personal control over data. Think back to when smartphones had microSD card slots, so you could store your photos, videos, & music locally & cheaply. As these companies started pushing paid cloud services, microSD slots disappeared from every phone. Apple no longer gives you a working \u201cdelete\u201d button<\/a>, and Google has mistakenly flagged people as criminals for sending photos a doctor requested of their sick child<\/a> during COVID lockdowns. These issues come up because you don\u2019t own the software or services you\u2019re using. If you can\u2019t review the source code, it\u2019s not your software. If you can\u2019t host the service yourself, it\u2019s not really yours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n FUTO is looking to change that. We want to provide solutions that let you take back control, whether it\u2019s running your own cloud or hosting your own services. Many of these services have 1% adoption (if they\u2019re lucky!) because of the barriers to use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One example is Immich; it\u2019s photo gallery software that uses local AI, so you never have to worry about your personal data being analyzed by some remote server. It\u2019s incredibly fast & efficient! I think it\u2019s the best in its field. Right now, if you want to use it, you need to set up your own GNU\/Linux server and use Docker to get everything running. You either become a GNU\/Linux sysadmin or you sell your data (and your soul) in exchange for a half-decent UI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Until now!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We believe that any piece of software we create or offer that has a client, must be accompanied by server source code that allows you to run your own server. You have to have control over your devices. At the same time, if we throw the source code at you and tell you \u201chave fun!\u201d<\/em>, have we really enabled you to run your own system? That\u2019s akin to throwing a party and saying \u201chey, anyone who wants to join us is allowed in!\u201d<\/em> when you only tell your best friends where the door is. We want the door to the party to be open to everyone; and for all of you<\/strong><\/em> to know where it is. So, let\u2019s see if we can put spicy brownie\u2019s concerns to rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m going to show you exactly how to set this up because that\u2019s been a common question in the comments. I\u2019m going to show you how to set up While I\u2019m at it, I might as well show you how to block all ads, even when you\u2019re connected from your phone. While we\u2019re in there, let\u2019s show you how to set up something similar to Google Docs, Google Sheets, calendar, contacts, home surveillance with notifications, self-hosted mail, a business phone system that curses out annoying customers for<\/em> you, and everything else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Warning:<\/strong> This becomes a rabbit hole very quickly because there are so many items to cover. I\u2019m not going to breadcrumb you. I want to provide you with everything, which means we have to start from the BEGINNING!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n This isn\u2019t going to be a 10-minute video, nor will it be a 10-page guide. It\u2019ll probably be a ten-hour video, and a 1000-page guide. You\u2019ll get to figure out how much I hate you based on whether or not I provide you with timestamps or a table of contents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before we dive into discussing building a router, I want you to understand the key components of your home network: the modem, router, switch, and wireless access point. These devices work together to connect you to the internet and allow multiple devices to communicate with each other. Most consumer products package the router, switch, and wireless access point all in one, hiding from you what each component is for. You might even have a modem that includes all three, meaning you have one device on your home network! Let\u2019s break down the purpose of each device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The modem is your gateway to the Internet, connecting your home to your Internet service provider (ISP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n What a Modem Does:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Types of Modems:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Important:<\/strong> A modem typically has only one Ethernet port, which is why you need additional devices like routers and switches to connect multiple devices in your home. A modem may have a phone jack to attach a standard telephone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The router manages traffic between your local network (your home devices) and the internet (outside world).<\/p>\n\n\n\n What a Router Does:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Note:<\/strong> The router you get from your ISP or buy from a store, 99% of the time, is a combo device that looks like this: includes a router, switch, and wireless access point all in one box. Understanding their roles separately is key when setting up a more advanced system like pfSense<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Below is a traditional wired router. This combines a router & a switch but has no wireless access point.<\/p>\n\n\n This is a TP-Link wireless router: a router, switch, and wireless access point all in one. This is most likely what you have in your closet right now, covered in wires, under the set of workout pants you bought six months ago after your failed New Year\u2019s resolution to go running every morning, that has slow speed unless you\u2019re 2 feet from it. These often come with SIP-ALG (a component that transforms Voice-over-IP packets, which generally isn’t needed any longer today) on by default, and will mess with your phone systems endlessly even if you try turning it off. Avoid the Walmart routers.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n A switch expands the number of devices you can connect to your local network using Ethernet cables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What a Switch Does:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Switches come in different sizes, from small 4-port models to large 24-port (or even larger) models used in business environments. The small Netgear switches that cost $15 are more than adequate for most people\u2019s home networks & will not cause random disconnects or issues with our router setup.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a basic Netgear switch that you get for $15<\/a>. It allows you to connect four devices to your pfSense router. You would attach the LAN port on the pfsense router to a port on this switch(any port is fine)<\/em> & then connect your wired devices(wireless access point for wifi, computers, etc)<\/em> to other ports on the switch. Some points to note:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Netgear XS724EM switch<\/a> is an expensive, fancier switch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The VLAN support is a big one because later on when we connect wifi access points that are advanced we are going to do far more than just make a \u201cguest network\u201d; we are going to make a network that your IoT devices (bulbs, thermostats, cameras, etc) can connect to and isolate them in a way where your computer running your security cameras & home automation can connect to them, but they are isolated from connecting to anything else. This isn\u2019t necessary though and a bunch of you will probably skip the VLAN part at the end, since that gets a little too complicated for a home setup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is an expensive switch. There are many inbetween, but I thought it\u2019d be useful to show an example of the cheap side & expensive side to show what is available & what you can get for the money. If you are ok with gigabit ethernet you can easily get by with way cheaper; right now you can either buy gigabit switches cheaply, or 2.5 gbe & 10 gbe switches at crazy high prices. There isn\u2019t much inbetween.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A wireless access point (WAP) provides Wi-Fi access to your network, allowing devices like phones, tablets, and laptops to connect wirelessly. You could add a wireless access point like the ones below, to the old blue Linksys router above, to turn it into a \u201cwireless router.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n What a Wireless Access Point Does:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n These are mesh network access points. They allow you to connect each to your switch and place them in separate areas of your home to make sure you have great connectivity everywhere.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n The way these work is you would place the access points on different parts of your house and have an ethernet wire going to each one. The access points intelligently work together to figure out which one you should be connected to based on which provides the strongest signal to your laptop\/phone where you are right now. You\u2019d place one on the side of your house, one in the basement, one on each side of each floor in your home, and wire them all to your switch & you\u2019ll get amazing wifi connectivity from anywhere. Good wireless access points will switch over so seamlessly that your file transfer does not stop or fail as it is happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These setups are more expensive since proper mesh equipment that works right costs more & you are buying multiple access points.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is an ancient wired router with no wifi.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a cheap ass wireless access point. I don\u2019t recommend any of these especially when something like a TPLink EAP6120<\/a> is about $50 used & offers much better seamless roaming if you want to add access points later, VLAN functionality, etc. I know it\u2019s tempting to buy the lame ones because they are in stock at best buy & walmart for instant gratification but you\u2019ll regret it later.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is an ancient wireless router that is a legend. The unbreakable, unbeatable, Linksys WRT54G. It is a router, a switch, and a wireless access point all in one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You have an address on the front of your building. You have a phone number – this is how people find you. Your modem will be how you get an IP address from your internet service provider. It usually looks like Most of you with a home internet connection have something called a Dynamic IP<\/strong>. This means that your IP can change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your IP address may change for a number of different reasons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This can make things more difficult than when you have a static IP<\/strong> – static IPs do not change. You get an internet protocol address, and that\u2019s what you\u2019re stuck with, for better or for worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For home users, most people don\u2019t need a static IP. Static IPs are for when I want something to \u201cstay put\u201d<\/em>. I want my phone number to stay put so people know where to find me. I want my home address to stay put so the mailman knows where to find me (and so I know where to go home!)<\/em> and, in this case, I want my IP to stay put so I can always find my home server, no matter where I am in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are reading this – you likely have a dynamic IP<\/strong> provided by your home internet service provider. We will have a workaround for this that allows you to be able to find your server at the same place every time you go to use it no matter how often its IP changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For this setup, you\u2019ll use a dedicated pfSense<\/strong> router instead of the combo device provided by your ISP. Here\u2019s how the connections work:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This will allow your phones, laptops, and other wireless devices to connect to the network without wires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Common Setup (with ISP Combo Device):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Your New Setup (with pfSense):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This new setup gives you better control over your network, improved security, and the ability to block ads with pfSense and tools like pfBlockerNG. It is important that you know what each component does & their purposes. By understanding what each component does, you\u2019ll be better equipped to set up and manage your new pfSense-based network!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s start at the very beginning with OpenVPN. We are not opening ports to the internet for ANYTHING, except for receiving self-hosted mail. We\u2019re running a bunch of different open source services that less than 0.1% of the population (if I\u2019m being generous) actually use. I LIKE<\/strong> They\u2019re nice software, but they\u2019re used by 0.0001%<\/a> of the population. Further, even if they WERE secure, by opening ports to the internet, I am letting every Tom, Dick & Harry who wants to peek in see what I am running on my IP address.<\/p>\n\n\n\n OpenVPN is used by companies in the S&P 500, banks, and governments; it\u2019s everywhere! The beauty of OpenVPN is that if there\u2019s ever a security breach, it\u2019s going to get found and fixed because there are tens of millions of eyes on it at any given moment. There is too much investment<\/em> in OpenVPN for it to wither on the vine and become fundamentally insecure. OpenVPN is as secure as it gets, and while it\u2019s not perfect<\/em>, we are massively reducing our RISK<\/em> of being hacked & exploited by utilizing OpenVPN to get into our home network vs. opening ports willy nilly to 10 different pieces of software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I don\u2019t want people to be able to see that these services are all running on my server. That means there are four, six, eight, or 15 different points of failure. I\u2019d rather have one point of failure that\u2019s managed properly. And that\u2019s what a VPN is for\u2014a way to create a secure, encrypted tunnel between your phone and your server.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Consumer routers you find in stores may offer features like OpenVPN, but the problem is that many stop receiving updates shortly after you buy them<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIntro<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/temp.noi3.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/image-1.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
Why Build Your Own Sovereign Cloud?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/temp.noi3.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/image-2.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/temp.noi3.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/image-4.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nFUTO\u2019s belief in self managing your own servers.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/temp.noi3.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/image-5.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe Rabbit Hole to Hell<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Immich<\/code>. To do that, I need to show you how I get my files from my phone to my server. If I\u2019m doing that, I\u2019m connecting to my server from outside, which means I have to show you how to set up a VPN tunnel. I\u2019m not going to forward ports for all these random services. If I\u2019m doing that, I might as well show you how to set up a router that will always get updates, which means building your own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
A Long Journey Ahead<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Understanding the Basics: Modem, Router, Switch, and Wireless Access Point<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Modem<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/temp.noi3.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/image-6.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nRouter<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
Traditional wired router:[edit<\/a> | edit source<\/a>]<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/temp.noi3.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/image-7.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Cheap Walmart Wi-Fi router:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/temp.noi3.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/image-8.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nSwitch<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/temp.noi3.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/image-9.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nCheap switch<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/temp.noi3.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/image-10.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nExpensive switch<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
4. Wireless Access Point (WAP)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/temp.noi3.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/image-11.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/temp.noi3.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/image-12.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/temp.noi3.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/image-13.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/temp.noi3.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/image-14.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/temp.noi3.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/image-15.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nInternet Protocol addresses<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
64.91.255.98<\/code> or 8.8.8.8<\/code> – you may have seen this before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
How These Devices Will Work Together in Your Setup<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Modem to Router<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
2. Router to Switch<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
3. Switch to Devices<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
4. Adding Wireless Access<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
A Common Home Network Setup vs. Your New Setup<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\n
Why Build Your Own Router?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Regular Security Updates & OpenVPN<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Immich<\/code>, Home Assistant<\/code>, Syncthing<\/code>, FreePBX<\/code>, OnlyOffice<\/code>, Nextcloud<\/code>, Mailcow<\/code>, Frigate<\/code>. But I don\u2019t want them just open to the internet.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhy can\u2019t I buy a $30 router at walmart?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Short lifespan for firmware updates<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nThis is an ancient wireless router that is a legend. The unbreakable, unbeatable, Linksys WRT54G. It is a router, a switch, and a wireless access point all in one.<\/p>\n\n\n\nInternet Protocol addresses<\/h3>\n\n\n\nYou have an address on the front of your building. You have a phone number – this is how people find you. Your modem will be how you get an IP address from your internet service provider. It usually looks like 64.91.255.98<\/code> or 8.8.8.8<\/code> – you may have seen this before.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMost of you with a home internet connection have something called a Dynamic IP<\/strong>. This means that your IP can change.<\/p>\n\n\n\nYour IP address may change for a number of different reasons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\nWhen you unplug your modem [for a long period of time].<\/li>\n\n\n\nWhen you plug your modem into a new router.<\/li>\n\n\n\nEvery day, just for the hell of it!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nThis can make things more difficult than when you have a static IP<\/strong> – static IPs do not change. You get an internet protocol address, and that\u2019s what you\u2019re stuck with, for better or for worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFor home users, most people don\u2019t need a static IP. Static IPs are for when I want something to \u201cstay put\u201d<\/em>. I want my phone number to stay put so people know where to find me. I want my home address to stay put so the mailman knows where to find me (and so I know where to go home!)<\/em> and, in this case, I want my IP to stay put so I can always find my home server, no matter where I am in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIf you are reading this – you likely have a dynamic IP<\/strong> provided by your home internet service provider. We will have a workaround for this that allows you to be able to find your server at the same place every time you go to use it no matter how often its IP changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHow These Devices Will Work Together in Your Setup<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\nFor this setup, you\u2019ll use a dedicated pfSense<\/strong> router instead of the combo device provided by your ISP. Here\u2019s how the connections work:<\/p>\n\n\n\n1. Modem to Router<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\nThe modem takes the signal from your ISP and passes it to your pfSense<\/strong> router via an Ethernet cable.<\/li>\n\n\n\nThe modem will be connected to the WAN (Wide Area Network) port on the router.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n2. Router to Switch<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\nYour pfSense<\/strong> router manages traffic between your devices and the internet.<\/li>\n\n\n\nSince the Intel NUC running pfSense<\/strong> has only two Ethernet ports, you\u2019ll connect the second port (the LAN (Local Area Network) port) to a switch to connect multiple devices.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n3. Switch to Devices<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\nThe switch is connected to the LAN port of your pfSense<\/strong> router.<\/li>\n\n\n\nAny wired devices (like computers, gaming consoles, or network storage) can be connected to the switch using Ethernet cables.<\/li>\n\n\n\nThis allows multiple devices to communicate with each other and access the internet through the pfSense<\/strong> router.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n4. Adding Wireless Access<\/h3>\n\n\n\nThis will allow your phones, laptops, and other wireless devices to connect to the network without wires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\nIf you only plan to have wireless devices on your network, you can attach your wireless access point directly to the LAN port on your pfSense<\/strong> router.<\/li>\n\n\n\nIf you wish to have a combination of wired & wireless devices on your network, you would attach a wired switch to the LAN port on your pfSense<\/strong> router, and then plug the Wi-Fi access point into a port on your switch.<\/li>\n\n\n\nIf you have no plans to have wireless devices on your network, you do not need a wireless access point.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nA Common Home Network Setup vs. Your New Setup<\/h3>\n\n\n\nCommon Setup (with ISP Combo Device):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\nModem \u2192 ISP-provided combo device (modem + router + switch + WAP)<\/li>\n\n\n\nAll devices (wired and wireless) connect to the combo device.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nYour New Setup (with pfSense):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\nModem \u2192 pfSense<\/strong> Router (dedicated firewall\/router)<\/li>\n\n\n\npfSense<\/strong> Router \u2192 Switch (for wired devices)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\nThis new setup gives you better control over your network, improved security, and the ability to block ads with pfSense and tools like pfBlockerNG. It is important that you know what each component does & their purposes. By understanding what each component does, you\u2019ll be better equipped to set up and manage your new pfSense-based network!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nWhy Build Your Own Router?<\/h1>\n\n\n\nRegular Security Updates & OpenVPN<\/h3>\n\n\n\nLet\u2019s start at the very beginning with OpenVPN. We are not opening ports to the internet for ANYTHING, except for receiving self-hosted mail. We\u2019re running a bunch of different open source services that less than 0.1% of the population (if I\u2019m being generous) actually use. I LIKE<\/strong> Immich<\/code>, Home Assistant<\/code>, Syncthing<\/code>, FreePBX<\/code>, OnlyOffice<\/code>, Nextcloud<\/code>, Mailcow<\/code>, Frigate<\/code>. But I don\u2019t want them just open to the internet.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThey\u2019re nice software, but they\u2019re used by 0.0001%<\/a> of the population. Further, even if they WERE secure, by opening ports to the internet, I am letting every Tom, Dick & Harry who wants to peek in see what I am running on my IP address.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOpenVPN is used by companies in the S&P 500, banks, and governments; it\u2019s everywhere! The beauty of OpenVPN is that if there\u2019s ever a security breach, it\u2019s going to get found and fixed because there are tens of millions of eyes on it at any given moment. There is too much investment<\/em> in OpenVPN for it to wither on the vine and become fundamentally insecure. OpenVPN is as secure as it gets, and while it\u2019s not perfect<\/em>, we are massively reducing our RISK<\/em> of being hacked & exploited by utilizing OpenVPN to get into our home network vs. opening ports willy nilly to 10 different pieces of software.<\/p>\n\n\n\nI don\u2019t want people to be able to see that these services are all running on my server. That means there are four, six, eight, or 15 different points of failure. I\u2019d rather have one point of failure that\u2019s managed properly. And that\u2019s what a VPN is for\u2014a way to create a secure, encrypted tunnel between your phone and your server.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhy can\u2019t I buy a $30 router at walmart?<\/h2>\n\n\n\nShort lifespan for firmware updates<\/h3>\n\n\n\nConsumer routers you find in stores may offer features like OpenVPN, but the problem is that many stop receiving updates shortly after you buy them<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n](\"https:\/\/wiki.futo.org\/wiki\/File:Lu55028jxaty_tmp_4bc4c5a.png\"){kind=link}