How to Set Up OpenVPN on a Dedicated Server (2026 Guide)

For anyone in the self-hosting and privacy community, we've published a complete guide to running your own OpenVPN server on a dedicated machine.

The tutorial covers:

A scripted install method using a maintained community installer for a fast, hardened setup
A manual Easy-RSA method for full control over certificate generation and configuration
Current security defaults — AES-256-GCM cipher, TLS 1.2+, tls-crypt HMAC protection
Firewall (UFW) and NAT masquerade configuration
Common troubleshooting steps for connection issues

If you value owning your VPN infrastructure instead of trusting a third-party provider, this walkthrough will get you from a blank dedicated server to a fully working, hardened OpenVPN setup.

Read the full tutorial here: https://www.fitservers.com/tutorials/howto/setup-openvpn-dedicated-server/