Small VPN Access Device?

https://lemmings.world/post/12877313

Small VPN Access Device? - Lemmings.world

I think this fits the rules but If this doesnt let me know and I’ll delete. Hey all, Overall problem statement: I’m looking for a small device (SBC if available) that I can use as a tail scale access point for travel and I’m hoping someone has done something similar. Basically I would like to have something small enough that I can toss in my travel bag that I can hook into a hotel network and have access to my home services (mainly jellyfin) on my kindle/work laptop. Not all of my devices support VPN or tailscale and having them already on a known network with built in VPN makes it 10x easier to deal with when traveling (login into hotel WiFi with a kindle Paperwhite sucks!) Ideally it would have dual gig Ethernet and built in WiFi. If this works out well enough I would like to give a few of these to the family so they can access things as well, so cost is a bit important. I found a banana pi R3-mini that I thought would work out of the box (wifi6 + dual gig + small) but it seems too new for full software support with tail scale and I don’t currently have the skills to roll my own software for it. Is there anything out there that you all have used for this type of use case? I know I can switch to wire guard but I’m not confident I can set that up securely and reliably but if that’s my only option I think I did find a good guide. So I’m at a crossroads of learning to build my own openwrt install with the correct packages, learning how to setup wire guard, or asking for recommendations.

For openwrt+wireguard, see: cameroncros.github.io/wifi-condom.html

Looks like tailscale should work in openwrt: openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/services/vpn/…/start

For the wireguard server, I am using firezone, but they have pivoted to being a tailscale clone, so I am on the legacy version, which is unsupported: openwrt.org/docs/guide-user/services/vpn/…/start

Hotel Wifi Condom — Cameron's Braindump 1.0 documentation

These devices have been recommended in the past, and it looks like they can run OpenWRT

www.amazon.com/…/B09N72FMH5

openwrt.org/toh/gl.inet/start

Amazon.com

Yes, OP I highly recommend a GL.iNet device. It’s pocket sized and always does the job.
I’d stay away from that particular one. We ui was slow af and whenever wireguard connected it crawled to a stop.
Do you know a better one?

Probably one of the higher end models?

To be honest, I’ll be forever dubious of new products that seem to be in every other YouTube video. I returned this one after a day or two of troubleshooting. It also didn’t support openwrt if I recall correctly.

Second this ^

I have one and it’s fine, but not directly supported by OpenWRT. Looks like Beryl and Slate are though

Gl.iNet Opal any good?

it's not supported by openwrt, so you're asking in the wrong place. try the gl.inet forums. the Beryl is however supported here, but I think you're overthinking this 😉

OpenWrt Forum

Almost anything with ethernet and a wifi adapter will work. Easy enough to run a vpn client and a wifi hotspot on pretty much anything with those two bits of hardware and root access.

Really, you could just use the laptop itself though. Plug in ethernet, start vpn client, start hotspot, connect other devices to hotspot; it’s all got vpn access. Then you don’t even need a second bit of kit to carry around.

As far as vpn software goes, as I’m the only one connecting to it; I use the docker image of OpenVPN Access Server. It’s really easy to manage, providing a web interface for most configuration; but limits you to two simultaneous connections without a paid licence.

Official Docker VPN Server with Access Server | OpenVPN

GL.iNet are good ones, or if you want to go the Rambo mode, then an orange pi r1 plus, one of these will do the work. Good luck
Plus one for the gli.net router. I’ve got the Beryl AX and it’s great. Ended up going with a wireguard VPN rather than tailscale, but either would work.
+1 - GL.iNet is cheap as hell and perfectly functional. It runs DD-WRT under the covers, and it’s super easy to “unlock” the full powers of the distro (literally a toggle in the basic ui, iirc). Used it on a longer trip my partner and I took a few months ago, and it was great! On-device storage is paltry, but, well, that’s not what it’s for.
Here’s an idea. Use a mikrotik router board. They are super cheap and support VPN natively. I use wireguard but it should also support openVPN as well. Maybe more I’m not sure. The small hap series are super cheap and works great.
+1 - GL.iNet is cheap as hell and perfectly functional. It runs DD-WRT under the covers, and it’s super easy to “unlock” the full powers of the distro (literally a toggle in the basic ui, iirc). Used it on a longer trip my partner and I took a few months ago, and it was great! On-device storage is paltry, but, well, that’s not what it’s for.
I don’t know if this would fit your needs but I just have a wireguard server and when I travel I just connect to my VPN from my phone and start my access point …then all the other devices will be connected to my VPN through the phone access point (there is an option to let clients use VPN in access point settings) and watch jellyfin. For me this is the simplest and cheapest option I found.