Reply to: MiFi device that offers site-to-site VPN

[WTFH]

You used to be able to buy dual USB cables for the scenario of needing more power. If one port (such as the charging one) doesn't give enough juice, then connect to a second one as well.

[Contreras]

Can the RPI be powered from just USB?

Yes it can. Apparently it can suffer brown-out problems if powered from a weak supply and the Pi itself powering USB devices. The 'official' wall cube for the Pi 3 is now rated 2.5A. The Pi 3 also has on-board wifi. I'm right now putting one in a nice little case (99p from China inc p&p! how do they do that?) which would suit a homebrew portable setup if you can make it work.

Do you know if it's possible to get on the VPN from a Linux PC?

[garnet]

Can the RPI be powered from just USB?

I think so, but I am not sure a USB port can supply ~2A, because you might need this if you have 3G USB dongle + wifi on.

[stek]

I wonder if Cisco's router on a stick will work, the ASAv?

https://blog.sanghera.me.uk/cisco-asav-vlans/

Cisco ASA not for the faint-hearted though and I'm not sure the above link is what you want, might get some ideas from it though....

[SimonMac]

+1 for
RPi+3g/4g usb stick
configure the pi's wifi module to accept ad-hoc connections and share the VPN connection.
Along these lines.

Can the RPI be powered from just USB?

[garnet]

+1 for
RPi+3g/4g usb stick
configure the pi's wifi module to accept ad-hoc connections and share the VPN connection.
Along these lines.

[SimonMac]

seems almost all the draytek routers can support 3/4G via USB so pick any of them.

Some of the TPlink devices are either dd-wrt or tomato compatible. So you could pick one of those and make your own.

But they also all need to be hard wired into the mains to work, with my MiFi device it runs all day of a battery which I can charge via USB

[vetran]

Falls down on the portability aspect!

Those type of routers are more for a fall back in case the ADSL goes down they can still work over LTE.

I am resigned to the fact what I want doesn't really exist

seems almost all the draytek routers can support 3/4G via USB so pick any of them.

Some of the TPlink devices are either dd-wrt or tomato compatible. So you could pick one of those and make your own.

[SimonMac]

MiFi as in 3/4G connection shared over WiFi?

How about:

Vigor 2860Ln 3G/4G/xDSL Router

Falls down on the portability aspect!

Those type of routers are more for a fall back in case the ADSL goes down they can still work over LTE.

I am resigned to the fact what I want doesn't really exist

[VectraMan]

MiFi as in 3/4G connection shared over WiFi?

How about:

Vigor 2860Ln 3G/4G/xDSL Router

[vetran]

Juniper & Sonicwall plus a mifi router ?

or FOSS with a mifi

VPN tutorial – access your network anywhere | Linux User & Developer - the Linux and FOSS mag for a GNU generation

maybe a raspberry pi job?

[SimonMac]

Yeah I was suggesting that since you can't tinker with the IP settings etc you can't get into the guts deep enough to set up the site-to-site which is obviously more core than the VPN client with more or less sits on top.

In others words I dunno!!

I was thinking are there non network devices that won't have the restrictions, and thus be a bit more "playable", for example the Y800 I am using is branded EE, but is unlocked so I can put a Three sim in it

[stek]

I can use my the VPN on my iPad, connected to my Alcatel Y800 and it be as if I was sat back at the office, I was wondering if there is something that can be done at the device level so anything that attaches to it connects back to the office automatically

Yeah I was suggesting that since you can't tinker with the IP settings etc you can't get into the guts deep enough to set up the site-to-site which is obviously more core than the VPN client with more or less sits on top.

In others words I dunno!!

[SimonMac]

Don't these Mifi 3/4G devices trap you inside the Telco's 3/4G private network? If so there's not much you can do, AIUI.

I had one in Spain and it got a private IP and routed out to the internet via the telco's gateway, same with Three in UK.

I can use my the VPN on my iPad, connected to my Alcatel Y800 and it be as if I was sat back at the office, I was wondering if there is something that can be done at the device level so anything that attaches to it connects back to the office automatically

[stek]

Is there such a thing as a portable MiFi device that can be configured to automatically use a site-to-site VPN so any device connected to it would be routed through the VPN, rather than having to configure a VPN on each and every device?

Don't these Mifi 3/4G devices trap you inside the Telco's 3/4G private network? If so there's not much you can do, AIUI.

I had one in Spain and it got a private IP and routed out to the internet via the telco's gateway, same with Three in UK.