Home Server On IPv6-only Internet Connection?

RandyOo writes "I've recently learned that our neighborhood is getting a fiber optic network, with a 100Mbps connection in each subscriber's home. IPv6 connectivity is included, but unfortunately, the only IPv4 connectivity they offer is Carrier Grade NAT, due to the exhaustion of IPv4 addresses in RIPE. I travel a lot, and I've become accustomed to accessing my home network via SSH, VNC, etc. It appears uPNP and PMP are unsupported by CGN. So, without a publicly-routed IPv4 address, I'll be unable to reach devices on my home network from an IPv4-only connection, such as the one provided by my cellular carrier (which also appears to be behind some kind of NAT, by the way). If the ISP isn't willing or able to sell me an IPv4 address, what alternatives do I have? I'd be willing to pay a small monthly fee for, say, a VPN service that would allow me to accept incoming connection requests on a range of ports on their Internet-facing IPv4 address. Does such a service exist?"

Comments

Hamachi

[PhaseBurn]

I've been using LogMeIn's Hamachi system to accomplish this. It's a virtual LAN solution that links machines behind firewalls or CGN devices. The down side is that it has to be installed on all devices that access the virtual LAN, and they don't have any mobile clients (yet), but if you need access from a device you can't install the Hamachi client on, you can always get a cheap VPS, install the linux client on it, and set up some port forwarding - the Hamachi IPs are static, so each machine always gets the same one.

There are some limitations with the free version (5 machines in a virtual LAN, connection only works with a logged in user on desktop clients), but the $30ish it costs per year for a 32 user license is very reasonable. And it supports IPv6 and IPv4 across the VLAN, too.

Re:Hamachi

[rs79]

Beware that 84% of Hamachi sold is actually butterfish which can cause anal leakage, so be careful.
http://blog.medellitin.com/2008/12/escolar-world-most-dangerous-fish.html

I'd like to hear more about changing the rolling meadow desktop thing, too.

Re:You've come to the right place.

[Anonymous Coward]

Next up on ask slashdot:

I've grown tired of the rolling meadow background on my Xp desktop. Does slashdot have any advice on how I might change it? And what should I change it to?

Cheap Linux VPS and a VPN to home

[toygeek]

A cheap Linux based VPS (Virtual Private Server) will do what you want. You can set up a VPN connection between your home server and the VPS, and then connect to the VPS on its public IP and have it route to your home. I haven't set up such a thing myself, and it will be a bit laggy, but it should works for what you need.

Reverse SSH Tunnel

[Ingenium13]

As one other comment suggested, get a cheap VPS and setup a VPN so that you can connect to your network. DigitalOcean has one for $5/month (I'm in no way affiliated) https://www.digitalocean.com/ and you can then have your router connect to the VPN. Setup the routes correctly and any VPN user can access every device at home.

However you won't always want to load up the VPN on your phone, and if there's just 1 computer you want to access you can use a VPS with a remote SSH tunnel. Have the computer on your network connect to the VPS and forward some high numbered port, say 4222, to port 22: ssh -R 4222:localhost:22 user@vps. Then you can ssh into your VPS on port 4222 and it will go directly to your home computer. Just made sure you add "GatewayPorts yes" to /etc/ssh/sshd_config or the remote port will only bind to localhost.

Couple this with autossh and the home computer will always keep the connection open and re-establish it as necessary.

Sure, there's a little overhead, but I've never really noticed it. I use this trick so that my phone and tablet can always ssh into my laptop no matter where the laptop is (home network, friend's house, coffee shop, etc)... no need to find the IP address and worry about port forwarding.