wireguard at startup - Linux Mint Forums (2024)

FAQs

How do I start WireGuard on startup? ›

Re: wireguard at startup

This involved placing a configuration file (e.g. wg0. conf) in /etc/wireguard, then using systemctl enable wg-quick@wg0 to start it. Also systemctl start/stop/disable to control it. Disabling it prevents it from starting at boot.

WireGuard prioritizes speed, ease of use, and network security, but, some might say, at the expense of privacy. WireGuard does lack some standard features and practices many other protocols offer to enhance user privacy protection, such as: Dynamic IP addresses. Auto-deletion of user IP addresses upon disconnection.

WireGuard is designed as a general purpose VPN for running on embedded interfaces and super computers alike, fit for many different circ*mstances. Initially released for the Linux kernel, it is now cross-platform (Windows, macOS, BSD, iOS, Android) and widely deployable.

Connections between devices are done using WireGuard, but Tailscale manages more advanced aspects like users and device discovery. Using Tailscale's UI, users can set up advanced access controls for a whole organization, and shape their network accordingly.

To view the status of one or more WireGuard tunnels, use the show wireguard [<instance>] command. This command prints the status of all WireGuard tunnels and can optionally limit the output to a specific instance.

Verdict on Security

There are no known security flaws in either protocol. If security is your topmost priority, the conservative option is OpenVPN. It has simply been around much longer than WireGuard, gone through more third-party security audits, and has a far longer track record than WireGuard.

Protocols such as OpenVPN, WireGuard, or IKEv2 have no known vulnerabilities and are considered secure.

While WireGuard is generally faster, OpenVPN provides heavier security.

The port used by the peer for WireGuard traffic. The default port is 51820 if left empty. If the Endpoint is empty, this value is ignored. An interval, in seconds, at which an empty packet is sent to the peer to keep the session active.

What Linux kernel is required for WireGuard? ›

WireGuard requires Linux ≥3.10, with the following configuration options, which are likely already configured in your kernel, especially if you're installing via distribution packages.

WireGuard was merged into the Linux kernel for 5.6. This repository contains a backport of WireGuard for kernels 3.10 to 5.5, as an out of tree module.

Since WireGuard and OpenVPN are free software, there is no expense associated with using them. Though there are some free solutions, you'll still need to pay for a VPN subscription. Since WireGuard and OpenVPN are free software, there is no expense associated with using them.