Installing an OpenVPN iphone client is as easy as 1,2,Elephant

There isn’t an openvpn client available in the apple store. Thus, we go into “jailbroken” territory here. It’s easy to get the client installed, no command line crazyness, but you’ll have to make sure you’ve got all the pieces in place. tedious, yes. Also worth it.

Jailbreak your iphone.

I’d tell you how, but it changes so often, I’m sure there’s an easier, faster, better way to do it from the way I did it already.

Install your OpenVPN app

Head over to guizmovpn and follow their instructions for installation. Once done, you’ll need to create a config .zip for your Untangle OpenVPN connection. We’ll need to edit a few files but in the end, it should be pretty easy.

Client .zip config

Create and download a client .zip file from your untangle box. You’ll need to unzip this folder and pull all the files up into the root directory.

You should have 5 files now in your folder.

• a .conf file.
• an .ovpn file.
• two .crt files.
• a .key file.

edit the .conf file

there are four lines you need to edit here.
1st, the untangle client by default tries to create a tun0 device. This isn’t supported by the GuizmOVPN client, it uses just

dev tun

so change that line to reflect it.
Also, you’ll want to remove the directory path to your crt files, and your key.

cert home-username-iphone.crt
key home-username-iphone.key
ca home-ca.crt

With those changes made, save the file and close it.

edit the .ovpn file.

Make the same changes as above, changing tun0 to tun and removing the directory path to the two crt files, and the key. save and close.

build the config bundle

you’ll need to zip the containing directory and name it something useful, home.zip worked for me and then upload it to he OpenVPN client on your iPhone via the instructions on the GuizmOVPN page here.

Done!

with that in place, you should be able to connect to your Untangle Server via OpenVPN from your iPhone. Grab an RDP/VNC client, and away you go!

What is all this stuff?

What I do have is a pile of networked devices. Printers, Game Consoles, Storage Arrays, Phones, Cell Phones, Desktops, Laptops, iPods, toasters, it seems like everything today that can be put on the network is. And they all need an IP address. Beyond that, if I want to get any work done in my house on my laptop, I need to make sure I’ve got a signal wherever I want to work from. I know it’s old, but I felt it was time to get out of my emotionally unhealthy relationship with my linksys 11b wap.

What I was doing

I had been tackling a pile of my home routing/DNS/DHCP requirements with a custom built, handcrafted with care, Debian box. This worked great for years, and would have continued to work, but I wanted something easy to use for OTHER people. I also wanted to easily add additional services if needed. What if I want to quickly add a network for guests? What if my wife wants to get some video or photos she hasn’t pushed to the cloud from home if we’re at my parents, or maybe hers? What if I want to answer my home phone from the road?

Enter Untangle.

Untangle is a swiss army knife. First thing was first, I needed a box to load this on. I had an old IBM tower with a couple of NICs that was running my home debian router. With the cavilier attitude of someone who could suffer an multi-hour internet outage (a luxury I never get at work), I dropped in the untangle disc, and away I went. DHCP reservations was first, and silly easy. The rest of the goodies I wanted were easy enough to get installed and running. Check here for a complete list of features, but right off the bat I went ahead and installed the following modules: Web Filter, Virus Blocker, Spam Blocker, an in line Ad Blocker, Attack Blocker, a Phish Blocker, Spyware Blocker, a Firewall quickly set up to provide VoIP QoS, Intrusion Prevention, Protocol Control, and the Reports module. With services ready, I needed to get the network made available to the rest of the house, and the needy networked monsters that dwell there.

DD-WRT is like getting 5 free extra shots of espresso

I had already ordered a couple of DD-WRT routers from Newegg. I had no idea which one I’d like, so, I ordered more than needed, for testing of course.
I wanted to be able to move a drobo or similar style storage device to the network. I also wanted to be able to set up a repeater, so I could work wirelessly from anywhere in my yard (thinking hammock). Also, I didn’t want to string cable to where the xbox sits. That would take a long time, and really, where’s the fun in that?

Base station

1st up was the ASUS WL-500GP V2. This former router is broadcasting the initial home SSID, was set up with the WAN disabled. It’s getting a dhcp assignment ( /w reservation) from untangle, and passing all network traffic, (including dhcp requests) on to the untangle server to manage. With the supported USB drive support, I’m planning to move my storage array, and attach it to the network via this device.

xBox wireless station

I could have bought the 70 dollar xbox wireless adapter. Instead I bought the ASUS WL-520gC for 30 bucks, and set it up in wireless client bridge mode. It’s WAN interface is also disabled, and it’s wireless is a client on the network. (with reservation via untangle). All client access is passed to the untangle server for management. This allows the xbox, plugged into the back, to get an IP address directly from the untangle server.

Buffalo on the move!

From the backyard, the wireless signal from the base station gets a bit weak. It works with some laptops, not with others, and I wanted to get a strong signal so I wouldn’t have to worry about dropped connections. Enter the BUFFALO WHR-HP-G54. Also loaded up with DD-WRT (seeing a trend here?) I’ve got it configured in repeater bridge mode. The wireless is simultaneously a client on the primary SSID, while also broadcasting it’s own SSID. Like the other two dd-wrt devices, it’s passing all traffic back to the untangle box, allowing clients attaching to both SSIDs to use the same dhcp reservations, and stay well managed.

Network hardware considerations?

It’s my house and not the datacenter, so I was ok with going 2nd gen on the networking devices. I didn’t need the latest and greatest hardware features, and I ended up buying all three wireless network devices for the cost of a single new top end device. Key points are, make sure your network devices are listed in the dd-wrt router database, and you’ll be ok. I couldn’t be happier with this configuration.

It’s so awesome in there! How do I get in?

Having set up OpenVPN multiple times in the past, saying it can be a bear is a bit of an understatement. It needs to be said that untangle packages up their implementation of OpenVPN so nicely, it makes you forget all about the nastiness that can be involved. The client email instructions sent via email with downloads is an awesome touch. With remote http management disabled, I can still use a robust VPN solution to log in remote to manage “from behind the firewall” as well as connect SIP clients, share files, print, pretty much anything I’d do if I was sitting at home. Very well done.

You won’t lose body fat if you starve yourself. Our bodies are quite adept at survival and periods of starvation is something that we as humans had to endure, at times, over many years of evolution. You may lose some “weight” at first if you starve yourself, but then comes the plateau.

Your metabolism adjusts, your hormones adjust, and body fat is stored because you are now in “starvation mode.” Your body is programmed to survive with or without your help. Or you may get past that plateau and then look gaunt and unhealthy since you are losing so much muscle mass. Now you look like a smaller version of your old self. Not the look you were after?

You lose muscle because muscle requires energy, and since your body doesn’t have the energy intake to support that much muscle, it adjusts by getting rid of it. This slows down your metabolism, so now you have to eat even less to lose weight, and your body struggles to hold on to precious stored energy by storing fat.

It’s all about survival. Your body doesn’t know the difference between you not eating because you chose not to eat, versus you sitting in a cave waiting out a storm so you can hunt for food and eat again. Your body’s reaction to this condition is the same. It will try to adapt to your caloric intake by adjusting metabolic processes to conserve energy. Dump muscle, slow down the metabolism, store fat…survive! Following are just a few helpful tips to get you started in the right direction.

Know your body fat percentage. All weight loss isn’t good. If you are losing muscle, you are going to struggle to meet your weight loss goals. If you are just using the scale to judge your progress, you are missing a major point. Get an accurate body fat assessment every couple weeks so you can adjust as necessary.

Eating five or six times a day is “crucial.” Your body will adjust very quickly to this increased eating pattern by producing more enzymes to digest food at those times as well as speeding up your metabolism. You will experience increased energy levels as well.

Get protein with your carbs at every meal. Many people don’t get enough protein and by simply increasing their intake, they feel a big boost of energy. I hear many people describe almonds as their protein preference. That wouldn’t be my first choice. Almonds are a good source of fat but not too good of a protein source. Biological values for almonds or nuts is approximately 30 percent. Not nearly as good as eggs or whey at 100 percent. Since protein will only stay with you for approximately four hours, it is important to eat it regularly.

Sugar is the enemy. High glycemic foods equate to faster carbohydrate breakdown and higher blood sugar levels. Less processed foods typically have a lower glycemic index. That is a good thing. Vegetables also tend to be lower glycemic carbohydrate choice. Fruits contain many good nutrients but be careful how much you eat since they can contain quite a bit of sugar.

Note: Not all sugar is equal, and understanding the differences is important. More on sugar here.

Resistance exercise is important for fat loss. If I had a choice between cardio exercise or weight lifting to lose body fat, I’d choose weight lifting. It is best if you can do both. For each decade after age 30 we lose a few percent of our muscle mass if we are sedentary. Lifting weights will help you stop the loss and even increase muscle mass. More muscle mass will speed up your metabolism, help you to lose body fat, increase your strength and improve balance to prevent injuries and improve your self esteem – just to name a few benefits.

Don’t work out first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. After sleeping all night you have a greatly reduced muscle glycogen level in addition to being in a catabolic (muscle breakdown) state. Pushing your body to generate energy while you are in this depleted state will inevitably be counterproductive because you will break down muscle tissue.

Eat high quality, fast-absorbing proteins and possibly some carbs immediately after the workout. After a strenuous workout, our muscles will absorb more nutrients than any other time during the day. This phenomenon is greatest about 15 minutes post-workout and diminishes in the next few hours. Consistent post-workout nutrition will be very beneficial and aid in the muscle recovery and repair process.

You have to eat fat to lose fat. Essential fatty acids are important to your health and a key ingredient in losing weight. The western diet typically has an abundance of omega 6 and 9. It’s omega 3 that is severely deficient for most people. An omega 3 fatty acid is highly recommended even if you eat fish a couple times a week. The benefit of omega 3’s could fill this page. I recommend doing at least 1.5 grams of EPA/DHA daily. Essential fats are beneficial for inflammation, brain function, relieving depression and hormone regulation – just to name a few.

Calories are important. Find out how many calories you burn each day and make sure you include exercise calories in this equation. It takes 3,500 calories to burn a pound of fat. If you put yourself in a calorie deficit beyond 2 pounds per week, you will probably lose muscle mass. Don’t starve yourself.

If someone gives you a “diet” and they don’t ask about your specific exercise calories, or they advise you to drink watered down orange juice throughout the day to keep your blood sugars regulated, or they ask you to eliminate food groups…. RUN!!!