VPN - Something has occurred to me

BradShort · 8 Mar 2017 at 18:22

I have VPN set up via Nighthawk D7000 and I have managed to setup VPN via my phone using the opvn. Its handy, to wake machine up if I need something away from home.

BUT if I lose my phone, the VPN key is on the SD card . . I trust that that key could just be used in another phone and access my network, with no way for me to restrict it unless I turn of VPN access?

Correct me?

Nazbit · 8 Mar 2017 at 19:52

If you used open vpn and generated the keys using easy rsa then if your phone got stolen or lost you would just revoke that devices certificate on the router. Any other client devices would continue to work but that device would not longer authenticate.

In reality what are the chances of a phone theif understanding or using your vpn connection. I'm sure most are wiped and quickly sold on.

If a theif did know what a vpn was then the last thing they want to do is use it to communicate with the owners home network.

Nazbit · 8 Mar 2017 at 19:56

Oh and if you just used the netgear standard firmware then the above may not make sense.

What you'd do in that case is log in to the router, turn vpn off. Save and apply. Then you can turn vpn on again and the new file that you generate will be different to the old one. So your old phone with the old file is locked out and you can still vpn to the same router using your new phone. Is that what you were worried about? That you'd have to turn it off permanently once that phone was lost?

BradShort · 8 Mar 2017 at 21:30

Nazbit said:
Oh and if you just used the netgear standard firmware then the above may not make sense.

What you'd do in that case is log in to the router, turn vpn off. Save and apply. Then you can turn vpn on again and the new file that you generate will be different to the old one. So your old phone with the old file is locked out and you can still vpn to the same router using your new phone. Is that what you were worried about? That you'd have to turn it off permanently once that phone was lost?

Yes, thought that might have to happen, had not occurred to me that cert is regenerated. That is perfect, thanks

/mindatrest