2025-08-22
When Zero-config VPN Means More Than Just Tailscale
Although Tailscale has become the benchmark for simplicity, it’s not the only player in the Zero-config VPN field. ZeroTier and NetBird offer similar functionality but with important architectural and ideological differences.
ZeroTier: A Virtual Ethernet Switch
ZeroTier is one of the first and most well-known services implementing the mesh network concept. It works on the principle of a virtual local network. Instead of relying on the WireGuard protocol, ZeroTier uses its own protocol and creates a virtual L2 switch (Layer 2) that unites all devices into a single local network. Each device gets an IP address from a virtual subnet and can “see” other devices as if they were connected to the same physical switch.
2025-08-21
What is Tailscale?
Tailscale is a VPN service that positions itself as a Zero-config VPN. It uses the WireGuard protocol to create a secure mesh network between all your devices. The key difference from other solutions is its simplicity. Instead of manually configuring tunnels and managing keys, Tailscale does all the work for you. All you need to do is install the app on each device and sign in.
How does it work under the hood?
When you sign in, the Tailscale client connects to the Control Plane server. This server essentially acts as the “brain” of the network:
2025-08-20
Evolution of Remote Access
Traditional VPN services, which most of us are familiar with, work on the “hub-and-spoke” principle (star topology). This means that all traffic from the client to the protected network passes through a central server. This approach has drawbacks:
- Configuration complexity: Manual setup, port forwarding, and key management are required.
- Performance: All traffic, even between two remote clients, must go through the central server, which increases latency.
- Single point of failure: If the central server goes down, the entire network stops working.
A new concept — Zero-config VPN — solves these problems by using a mesh network architecture.
2025-08-19
Dynamic Routing on Keenetic: BGP and OSPF
When Static Routing Isn’t Enough
In most home networks, routing is simple: all traffic is sent through a single ISP. In such cases, static routing is sufficient. But what if you have a complex network with multiple routers, redundant connections, or you want to experiment with advanced networking? This is where dynamic routing protocols come into play.
KeeneticOS includes built-in support for these protocols, allowing it to automatically exchange routing information with other routers, adapt to network changes, and ensure failover capabilities.
2025-08-18
Keenetic as a VPN Client: Network-Wide Protection
Why Use a Router-Level VPN Client?
Setting up a VPN client on every individual device can be tedious. Moreover, many devices (Smart TVs, gaming consoles, IoT gadgets) don’t even support VPN connections. Keenetic solves this problem by acting as a central VPN client for the entire network. This allows you to protect all devices with a single VPN connection, eliminating the need to install and configure software on each one.
2025-08-17
Keenetic as a VPN Server: Secure Remote Access
The Remote Access Problem
When you’re away from home or the office, accessing local resources — such as a network-attached storage (NAS), server, or smart devices — can be challenging. Opening ports to the public internet is unsafe. The solution is to create a secure VPN tunnel, allowing you to safely connect to your local network from anywhere in the world. Keenetic makes this task simple by offering powerful and flexible VPN server functionality right out of the box.
2025-08-16
Keenetic: A Router Whose Main Asset Is Its Operating System
A Quick Look at Keenetic
In the world of home routers, where most devices come with proprietary, bloated firmware, Keenetic stands out with its unique approach. Instead of competing solely on hardware, the company focuses on its own operating system — KeeneticOS. This makes their devices not just routers, but flexible, stable, and expandable network platforms.
KeeneticOS: Modular and Reliable Core
Under the hood, Keenetic runs a Linux-based system topped with a unique modular operating system. This approach offers two key advantages that tech-savvy users will appreciate:
2025-08-15
Introduction: From Reactive Defense to Proactive Security
In 2025, attacks on servers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and reactive measures (firewall, Fail2Ban, CrowdSec) are no longer enough. The modern DevSecOps approach requires proactive hardening—strengthening the system—to minimize the attack surface before public exploits appear.
Lynis remains one of the key open-source security auditing tools for Unix systems, but today it is crucial to complement it with integration into security standards frameworks (CIS, SCAP) and automation in CI/CD pipelines.
2025-08-14
Introduction: The First Line of Defense for Your Server
Before thinking about complex intrusion detection systems such as Fail2ban or CrowdSec, you need to build the first and most reliable line of defense—a firewall. A firewall controls all network traffic entering and leaving your server and blocks unauthorized connection attempts.
Traditionally, Linux servers have used iptables to manage firewalls, but its syntax can be complicated and confusing. Fortunately, there is a simpler and more intuitive tool — UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall).
2025-08-13
Introduction: From Local Defense to Global Protection
In the previous article, we explored Fail2ban — a reliable and time-tested tool for defending against brute-force attacks. However, Fail2ban only works with local logs and has no awareness of what’s happening on other servers. In today’s environment, where cyberattacks are increasingly distributed and sophisticated, we need a smarter and more collaborative solution.
Enter CrowdSec — a modern, open-source Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) that leverages a crowdsourced approach to build a global threat intelligence network.