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Show HN: Check Your Network's Ability to Host a VPN Server

Got bored today so I created this little companion site for my main VPN setup blog page to help people who are not tech-savvy quickly know whether their network can support hosting a VPN server (ex. WireGuard). It basically checks if it's public/private and if it's from a cellular network. Also tries to distinguish between Verizon 5G Home or AT&T Fiber which are not the same as cellular and should still work for hosting a VPN.

toomuchtodo 2y ago
This is clever and cool, thank you for building and sharing it. Any chance it supports JSON for machine detection? Similar to jsonip.com
- idoescompooters 2y ago
  Not at the moment. I understand that is the beauty of icanhazip.com, but I didn't realize my version would be desirable to have this "feature". https://ifconfig.co/json https://ifconfig.co/json exists though!
idoescompooters 2y ago
Unfortunately it's not possible to check for CGNAT via web browser. The only way to is to check the WAN IP directly on your router.
- toomuchtodo 2y ago
  https://ip.bieringer.net/cgn-test.html https://ip.bieringer.net/cgn-test.html
  - idoescompooters 2y ago
    Yes, I'm aware of this page and it does not work. I tested using my iPhone hotspot as the internet source and it did not show evidence of CGNAT. Only green dots on the port squares.
KomoD 2y ago
So it doesn't check if you can actually host it (because it can't check, there is no other way than checking on your actual network) Literally all it does: if org belonging to ip contains wireless, mobile, cellular, verizon, at&t, t-mobile, sprint: IP is cellular (really bad way to determine if an IP is cellular or not by the way) if IP belongs to asns 701, 6167, 22394, 21928, 23402: IP is cellular if IP belongs to asns 7018, 20001: IP is not cellular if none of above if statements match: IP is not cellular if IP is cellular: no you can't if IP isn't cellular: yes you can That's it, that's the entire site. And saying "Public-looking IP" doesn't make sense, you'll never get anything other than a public IP from icanhazip (or any other ip fetching service). Also having a cellular IP doesn't automatically mean you are unable to receive inbound traffic, some providers sell "mobile broadband" that allow you to open ports, etc.
- idoescompooters 2y ago
  It's an educational page.

toomuchtodo 2y ago

This is clever and cool, thank you for building and sharing it. Any chance it supports JSON for machine detection? Similar to jsonip.com

idoescompooters 2y ago
Not at the moment. I understand that is the beauty of icanhazip.com, but I didn't realize my version would be desirable to have this "feature". https://ifconfig.co/json https://ifconfig.co/json exists though!

idoescompooters 2y ago

Unfortunately it's not possible to check for CGNAT via web browser. The only way to is to check the WAN IP directly on your router.

toomuchtodo 2y ago
https://ip.bieringer.net/cgn-test.html https://ip.bieringer.net/cgn-test.html
- idoescompooters 2y ago
  Yes, I'm aware of this page and it does not work. I tested using my iPhone hotspot as the internet source and it did not show evidence of CGNAT. Only green dots on the port squares.

KomoD 2y ago

So it doesn't check if you can actually host it (because it can't check, there is no other way than checking on your actual network) Literally all it does: if org belonging to ip contains wireless, mobile, cellular, verizon, at&t, t-mobile, sprint: IP is cellular (really bad way to determine if an IP is cellular or not by the way) if IP belongs to asns 701, 6167, 22394, 21928, 23402: IP is cellular if IP belongs to asns 7018, 20001: IP is not cellular if none of above if statements match: IP is not cellular if IP is cellular: no you can't if IP isn't cellular: yes you can That's it, that's the entire site. And saying "Public-looking IP" doesn't make sense, you'll never get anything other than a public IP from icanhazip (or any other ip fetching service). Also having a cellular IP doesn't automatically mean you are unable to receive inbound traffic, some providers sell "mobile broadband" that allow you to open ports, etc.

idoescompooters 2y ago
It's an educational page.