How to build your own personal VPN
ARS had an interesting article, it basically shows step-by-step the things needed to build your own personal VPN.
How to build your own VPN if you’re (rightfully) wary of commercial options
How to build your own VPN if you’re (rightfully) wary of commercial options
Comments
Albert Einstein once said, "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough."
By the way, I have had to explain technical things to people who English is a second language. They were smart people but did not command the English language. That was a challenge.
JMHO
We had a client once with a 'non-technical' department head managing a project being executed by engineers building a microwave link system across 150 miles of rough terrain. They were having an issue getting around some new tall building construction which had sprung up in part of the designed path after the link was designed. A tower had to be relocated to compensate and land purchased or leased on which to place the tower, a new design link budget analysis was needed, materials needed increased. All this translates into money though time, manpower, land, materials, redesign, which doubled the original project budget. The first part of the path was built and working fine, but before the second phase of the project began a redesign was needed because of an almost 10 db loss in signal after a recalculation in the link budget analysis to compensate for the new building construction thus rendering it unusable as originally designed. We were there doing compliance testing for the networking aspects of the first part. One of the engineers came stomping in all pis**d off after trying to explain to the department head why part of the project second phase link had to be redesigned and end up costing twice what was originally planned. The department head wanted a 'second opinion' and wanted to bring in an outside consulting firm basically not believing his own engineers. I had designed microwave links before so knew what the engineer was talking about. He said his department head simply did not understand how a 10 db loss of signal would matter because, as the department head put it, "its only 10 db loss leaving 90 db left so it should be fine".
I suggested the engineer go back to his department head and explain that 3 db was at the half power point meaning a loss of 50%, then to ask the department head if he would be willing to give him 3 db of his salary. The department head got it then.
I disagree - he expressed himself very clearly. The article is pretty concise and easy to understand. You can't write concise instructions on a topic like this - targeted at unknowledgeable and knowledgeable people alike. Why? Because it would be more than twice as long (no longer concise), and too frustrating to read for a knowledgeable person following them. The Ars website is targeted at people who are knowledgeable and interested in tech - i.e. the article's author knew his audience and tailored his writing style to it.
If you don't know how to build a VPN - or understand the steps you are carrying out - what confidence will you have that you performed all of the steps correctly? Low confidence - therefore it would be unwise to attempt it. That's why I would never attempt to tear down a combustion engine and build it up again, or build my own home with my hands - it wouldn't be done right and wouldn't be fit for purpose.
The article is a detailed procedure (how) not an explanation (what) - so this quote is completely irrelevant.
bgxsec discussion about dB loss, signal path loss, attenuation, link budgets, and what not was all words to someone who does not understand RF engineering for Microwave or spacecraft (satellites). I understood it completely. I consider myself technically proficient in that field. But if I wanted to make my own VPN I would be spending a lot to time looking up the terms he is using.
So, to you, it is a good article. To me it was ok but not for the average person desiring to build their own VPN. I am sure after the first page, most people would move on to continue their search.
Einstein still stands, "if you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough."
The author does not need to denote the skill level required. If you don't understand the terminology, or what the procedure is asking you to do, you're not likely to succeed and will give up quickly (continue on with a fruitless search).
As I said, it's irrelevant to this article. A detailed procedure is not ever intended to explain anything (simply or not) - it's aim is to document steps required to achieve a goal. Have you ever considered why there's no beginner level instructions for performing a triple by-pass operation? Or building a satellite? Or building your own VPN hosted by a third party?