Here’s a complete guide for AWS VPC VPN — ideal for tutorials, study, and implementation. This tutorial will help you understand Virtual Private Network (VPN) connections within Amazon VPC, covering both Site-to-Site VPN and Client VPN.

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What is AWS VPC VPN?

AWS Virtual Private Network (VPN) enables you to securely connect your on-premises network or client devices to an Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) over an encrypted connection.

There are two types of VPN in AWS:

1. Site-to-Site VPN – Connects your on-premises network or another cloud network to your AWS VPC.
2. Client VPN – Allows remote clients to securely access AWS resources.

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Key Components

Component	Description
Customer Gateway (CGW)	Represents your on-premises device or software application.
Virtual Private Gateway (VGW)	VPN concentrator on the AWS side attached to your VPC.
VPN Connection	The actual connection between CGW and VGW.
Transit Gateway	(Optional) Connects multiple VPCs and on-prem networks.
Client VPN Endpoint	Used for AWS Client VPN connections.

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Site-to-Site VPN Setup Guide

Step 1: Create a Virtual Private Gateway (VGW)

• Go to VPC Dashboard → Virtual Private Gateways
• Click Create Virtual Private Gateway
• Attach it to your desired VPC

Step 2: Create a Customer Gateway (CGW)

• Go to VPC → Customer Gateways
• Choose:
  • IP Address (your on-prem router/public IP)
  • Routing: Static or Dynamic (BGP)
  • Device: Optional name

Step 3: Create a VPN Connection

• Go to VPN Connections → Create
• Select Virtual Private Gateway and Customer Gateway
• Choose Routing Options (BGP or static routes)
• Download configuration for your on-prem device (supports Cisco, Juniper, etc.)

Step 4: Update Route Tables

• Add routes pointing to on-prem CIDR via VGW
• Update Security Groups and Network ACLs accordingly

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AWS Client VPN Setup Guide

Step 1: Create a Client VPN Endpoint

• Go to VPC → Client VPN Endpoints
• Provide:
  • Server certificate (from ACM)
  • Client CIDR range
  • Authentication method (Active Directory, mutual auth, etc.)
  • Enable split-tunnel or full-tunnel access

Step 2: Associate Subnets

• Associate endpoint with one or more subnets in your VPC (must be in same region)

Step 3: Authorization Rules

• Define rules to allow access to certain CIDRs for VPN clients

Step 4: Download Client Configuration

• Share .ovpn file with clients
• Use AWS VPN Client or OpenVPN to connect

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Security Best Practices

• Use strong authentication (IAM, Active Directory)
• Enable logging with Amazon CloudWatch
• Use network segmentation (NACLs, SGs)
• Rotate keys/certs periodically
• Enable split-tunneling only if needed

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Use Cases

Use Case	Description
Hybrid Cloud	Connect on-prem data center to AWS
Remote Access	Allow employees to access AWS securely from anywhere
Inter-region VPC Communication	Use VPN between VPCs in different regions

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Pricing Summary

Feature	Cost
Site-to-Site VPN	$0.05/hour + data transfer
Client VPN Endpoint	$0.10/hour + $0.05 per connection/hour

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Troubleshooting Tips

• Check route tables and NACLs
• Verify Security Groups for access
• Use ping, traceroute, and telnet to verify connectivity
• Use CloudWatch logs and VPN metrics for debugging

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Useful AWS CLI Commands

aws ec2 create-vpn-connection ...
aws ec2 describe-vpn-connections
aws ec2 delete-vpn-connection --vpn-connection-id vpn-xyz

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Diagram – AWS Site-to-Site VPN

  +----------------+          Encrypted IPsec         +----------------------+
  | On-Prem Router | <------------------------------> | Virtual Private Gateway |
  +----------------+                                  +----------------------+
              \                                             |
               \--------------------------------------------+
                                AWS VPC

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References

• AWS Site-to-Site VPN Docs
• AWS Client VPN Docs
• AWS VPN Pricing

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