>>>>>>> I have several remote systems all pushing backups to my local >>>laptop >>>>>>> via rdiff-backup. Sometimes when on the road I find myself behind >>>a >>>>>>> router and the remote systems are unable to push. Is openvpn the >>>>>>> right solution here? Should I run a separate openvpn server on >>>each >>>>>>> system to be backed up with my laptop as the client? >>>>>> >>>>>> If you can configure the router to forward the port used by the >>>OpenVPN >>>>>> server to your laptop, you can run the server on your laptop. >>>>> >>>>> I can't rely on being able to configure the router unfortunately, >>>but >>>>> I have to admit admin/admin does work a lot of the time. >>>>> >>>>>> But, as is more likely, when you can not configure the router, >>>running >>>>>> an >>>>>> OpenVPN server on (at least one) remote system and having your >>>laptop >>>>>> connect to that, you can have the other systems push to your laptop >>>over >>>>>> the VPN-link. >>>>>> Either directly (by establishing multiple VPN-links from your >>>laptop >>>>>> (one >>>>>> to each server) or via one of the remote systems. >>>>> >>>>> So I'm sure I understand, I should run the openvpn server on one of >>>my >>>>> remote systems and connect to that with each of the other remote >>>>> systems and the laptop. Then I can back up from any of the remote >>>>> systems to the laptop and all the laptop needs to be able to do is >>>>> make an outbound connection to the openvpn server? >>>> >>>> 2 options: >>>> 1) OpenVPN on every remote system and have laptop connect to all >>>remote >>>> systems for the backup >>>> >>>> 2) OpenVPN on 1 remote system (configured as router for the >>>VPN-links) >>>> - laptop and other remote systems connect to this remote system >>>> - backup are sent to laptop via this one remote system >>> >>>#2 sounds cooler. Is that what you'd do? >>> >>>- Grant >> >> Yes. >> With the VPN server being at my home network. > > Need to add to this: > Option #2 has a few downsides: > 1) The system running the VPN-server will have a lot more bandwidth > utilisation. (Backups for other systems will go through the link this one > has) > 2) If that system is down, none of the other systems can be accessed via VPN. > > For me the downsides don't count as the server can be accessed really > easily and I pay the same for my home internet connection when I use it or > don't use it.
Convinced. Thank you for your help. - Grant
