Engineering Student Builds WireGuard VPN Server from Scratch on a Local VM

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An engineering student undertook a self-directed project to build a WireGuard VPN server from scratch, aiming to learn real-world networking concepts beyond standard tutorials. Rather than using a cloud provider, the student ran a Debian virtual machine locally via VMware Workstation, which introduced challenges around virtual networking, NAT, and IP forwarding. Initial setup appeared simple but quickly revealed issues including disabled IP forwarding, misconfigured firewall rules, and incorrect routing that required deep troubleshooting. The student later rebuilt the VPN using Docker to compare containerized and native deployments, and tested connectivity across multiple environments including mobile hotspots and different operating systems. All findings, scripts, and configuration examples were compiled into a public GitHub repository to serve as a reference for others undertaking similar projects.

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