Hands-on guide series
WireGuard VPN and Private Networking: A Hands-On Guide
A five-part, hands-on guide to running your own WireGuard VPN on a slice: install and configure the server from a bare box, connect your real laptop and phone, reach a private service through the tunnel that the public internet cannot see, and keep it running. Every command verified on a live Ubuntu 24.04 server with a real client connecting over the internet.
What you will build
Security is layers, not a switch. Each part closes a different category of attack, from the automated sweep that finds a brand-new server, to the day one gets in anyway. Read them in order, or jump to what you need.
- 1
Your Own WireGuard VPN: What You Will BuildBuild a WireGuard VPN on a slice from zero: see the end state first, a laptop and phone reaching a private service the public internet cannot touch.6 min - 2
Install and Configure the WireGuard ServerInstall the WireGuard server on a slice from a bare Ubuntu 24.04 box: apt install, generate the server keypair, write wg0.conf, open the firewall, verify.6 min - 3
Connect Your Laptop to WireGuardConnect your laptop to the WireGuard server: add the peer, write the client config, bring the tunnel up, and prove a real handshake and ping over the internet.6 min - 4
Your Phone and a First Private ServiceReach a private service from your phone over WireGuard: scan the config QR, stand up the service on the tunnel IP, and fix the firewall pitfall that blocks it.7 min - 5
Keep It Running and Add More DevicesKeep it running: enable WireGuard under systemd so it survives a reboot, add a preshared key, add more devices, then a deep dive into full-tunnel routing and NAT.7 min