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    VPN Setup Guide

    Netmaker VPN Setup

    Set up a modern mesh VPN using Netmaker on your RamNode VPS. Create secure peer-to-peer connections with WireGuard technology and web-based management.

    1

    Why Choose Netmaker?

    Netmaker is a powerful, modern VPN solution that creates secure mesh networks using WireGuard technology. Unlike traditional VPN setups, Netmaker automatically manages peer-to-peer connections, making it ideal for connecting multiple devices, offices, or cloud resources.

    Key Benefits

    • WireGuard-based for speed and security
    • Mesh networking with direct peer connections
    • Web-based UI for easy management
    • Scalable from small teams to enterprises

    Platform Support

    • Linux (all major distributions)
    • Windows 10/11
    • macOS
    • iOS and Android
    2

    Prerequisites

    Before beginning the Netmaker installation, ensure you have the following requirements:

    3

    Prepare Your RamNode VPS

    First, connect to your RamNode VPS via SSH and update the system packages:

    Update system packages
    sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

    Install essential packages required for the installation:

    Install essential packages
    sudo apt install -y curl wget git ufw

    Configure the firewall to allow required ports:

    Configure firewall
    sudo ufw allow ssh sudo ufw allow 80/tcp sudo ufw allow 443/tcp sudo ufw allow 51821/udp sudo ufw allow 8081/tcp sudo ufw --force enable
    4

    Install Docker and Docker Compose

    Netmaker requires Docker and Docker Compose. Install the official Docker packages:

    Remove old Docker packages
    sudo apt-get remove docker docker-engine docker.io containerd runc
    Add Docker's official GPG key
    curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg
    Add Docker repository
    echo "deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null
    Install Docker Engine
    sudo apt update sudo apt install -y docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-compose-plugin
    Add user to docker group
    sudo usermod -aG docker $USER newgrp docker
    Verify Docker installation
    docker --version docker compose version
    5

    Install Netmaker

    Download and run the official Netmaker installation script:

    Download Netmaker installer
    wget -O /tmp/nm-quick.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gravitl/netmaker/master/scripts/nm-quick.sh && chmod +x /tmp/nm-quick.sh

    Run the installation script. You'll be prompted for configuration options:

    Run Netmaker installation
    sudo /tmp/nm-quick.sh

    Installation Notes

    • • Choose your server's public IP or domain name when prompted
    • • Select "Community Edition" for free usage
    • • Use SSL if you have a domain name configured
    • • The installation will take several minutes to complete

    Verify the installation by checking container status:

    Check Netmaker containers
    docker ps
    6

    Configure DNS (Optional)

    If you're using a domain name, configure DNS records to point to your VPS:

    Required DNS Records

    A      yourdomain.com      -> YOUR_VPS_IP
    A      *.yourdomain.com -> YOUR_VPS_IP

    Replace yourdomain.com with your actual domain and YOUR_VPS_IP with your RamNode VPS IP address.

    7

    Create Your First Network

    Access the Netmaker web interface and create your first network:

    1. Access Web Interface

    Open your browser and navigate to:

    https://yourdomain.com (or http://YOUR_VPS_IP)

    2. Login

    Use the admin credentials that were displayed during installation. If you missed them, you can retrieve them:

    Get admin password
    sudo docker logs netmaker 2>&1 | grep "Admin Password"

    3. Create Network

    • • Click "Networks" in the sidebar
    • • Click "Create Network"
    • • Enter network name (e.g., "main-network")
    • • Set address range (e.g., 10.101.0.0/16)
    • • Click "Create"
    8

    Add Client Devices

    Add devices to your Netmaker network:

    9

    Test Your Connection

    Verify that your Netmaker network is working correctly:

    Check Network Status

    List connected nodes
    sudo netclient list

    Test Connectivity

    From one client device, ping another device using its Netmaker IP:

    Test ping between nodes
    ping 10.101.0.2

    View Network Topology

    In the web UI, navigate to "Networks" → Your Network → "Graph" to visualize the network topology and connection status.

    Connection Successful!

    If you can ping between devices, your Netmaker mesh VPN is working correctly.

    10

    Troubleshooting

    Common issues and their solutions:

    Getting Help

    For additional support, check the official Netmaker documentation at docs.netmaker.org or join their community Discord server.

    11

    Security Best Practices

    Server Security

    • Keep your VPS and Docker containers updated
    • Use strong passwords for admin accounts
    • Enable UFW firewall with minimal required ports
    • Consider using SSL certificates for web UI access

    Network Security

    • Regularly rotate enrollment keys
    • Monitor connected devices in the web UI
    • Use different networks for different purposes
    • Implement access controls and user permissions

    Backup Recommendations

    Backup your Netmaker configuration regularly:

    Backup Netmaker data
    cd ~/netmaker docker compose exec netmaker tar czf /backup/netmaker-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz /etc/netmaker