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[XGS_Is_On]

Genuinely curious: you seem to have more VPN concentrator instances to your home than many SMEs, you're constantly replicating content across the road, you've a couple of VPS, what are all these resources actually doing?

This a professional thing, explaining the very high end hardware you are running? If it is what's the business? Mind letting us in on this? 

[Alex Atkin UK]

You referring to me?

I don't actually replicate across the road (I did think about it but as they're on a PAYG meter it seemed unwise) its just a point to point link to extend my LAN to a family friends maisonette for when I'm there.  Tried to get him to use Netflix but he's one of those people who just dislikes computers and the Internet in general for some reason.

VPN wise, I ended up with a lot because I had three WANs for a while so I load balanced the VPN instances.

I have AAISP L2TP to allow a fixed IP over the single backup 5G WAN I now have.

I have VPN servers on both current WANs (one has to go over AAISP) so I can remote in when I attended conventions (not since the pandemic).  Currently both OpenVPN and Wireguard because a friend who also uses it had reliability issues with Wireguard so I wasn't convinced its good enough to be my only option.

I have three VPS for a few reasons.  One is I needed to migrate from Mythic Beasts (Bhost legacy service) as it runs on an outdated virtualisation solution that doesn't support newer kernels with mitigations against other customers snooping on my data, so I didn't feel comfortable keeping it for my e-mail due to some services still doing e-mail two factor authentication.  I kept it for remote storage and testing as it has Gigabit, IONOS who I moved to have a 400Mbit cap.

I have one in the US running a proxy server so I can access US sites that have started blocking commercial VPNs, plus I was testing connectivity to my friend in Texas as his connection to me was a bit dodgy, which magically fixed itself when I moved to FTTP.

Then I have the new VPS I just migrated over my e-mail to which frustratingly costs more than I planned due to virus scanning of e-mail needing stupid amounts of RAM.

I run a VPN instance to each to make administration easier and lessen security holes.  Primarily so I do not have to run Virtualmin on the public interface, I will probably restrict SSH to the tunnel interface too as I always have the IONOS control panel for emergency console access.

I can't work for medical reasons plus have to care for my mum, so even before the pandemic spent most of the time at home.  Fiddling around with technology is my way of not going completely insane (just mostly) and a continuation of my original plan to be an IT Tech.

Since I've not socialised in person since the pandemic, I put the money saved on that into upgrading everything.

[XGS_Is_On]

Interesting! Thanks for humouring me.

[burakkucat]

I think it would be best if I move this topic to Tech. Chat.

[dee.jay]

Is there any reason you can't work remotely if you could work 100% from home?

You possess skills many network engineers don't...

[Alex Atkin UK]

I had wondered about that, but the problem is not just that I sleep random hours but that I can have days/weeks/months where I will be in fibro-fog and unable to think straight.  I never know when its going to happen.

[dee.jay]

Ah, I am sorry to hear that. Pity, you'd be a cracking engineer I think

[XGS_Is_On]

Curiosity and an interest in learning being the most important quality of all. Thanks again, Alex.

[Chrysalis]

I have 4 VPNs on my pfsense if it bothers you :p

Although dont currently actively use them.

My personally setup and configured USA VPN (but is hosted in a DC) is marked as a proxy/VPN by Netflix and co, but after researching the only thing I could conclude is they simply blacklisted all DC ip's not just commercial VPN providers as they likely commercial usage.