Configure an IKEv2 IPsec VPN to an AWS VPN Gateway

Introduction

AWS VPN Gateway is a virtual private network (VPN) service offered by Amazon Web Services (AWS). A VPN Gateway uses a secure tunnel to connect corporate networks, remote workers, and partners to AWS cloud resources and applications securely and safely. VPN Gateways are available as stand-alone services on both VPCs (Virtual Private Clouds) and Direct Connects.

Understanding IKEv2 IPsec VPN

IKEv2 IPsec VPN is a virtual private network protocol that combines the Internet Key Exchange or IKE protocol with IPsec for secure data exchange. It is commonly used for secure remote access, using a hostname, a domain, an IP address, a username, and a password. When a user connects to an IKEv2 IPsec VPN, the two computers (the VPN server and client machine) negotiate a secure tunnel for data transfer. This secure tunnel is protected through IPsec encryption and authentication, as each packet is encapsulated with encryption keys.

Advantages of IKEv2 IPsec VPN over other VPN protocols include:

• Improved security in the form of stronger encryption algorithms and authentication methods.

• Increased reliability through support for NAT Traversal which allows the VPN tunnel to automatically renegotiate if the connection is disrupted due to a changed IP address.

• Increased flexibility due to its ability to support multiple connections. It can also be used over the public Internet or a private network.

• Increased performance as IKEv2 is optimized for mobile clients. It has fast reconnection times and is optimized for roaming between networks.

Preparing AWS Environment for VPN Configuration

• Set up an AWS Account: Start by creating an AWS Account. Include your billing information so you can access services like VPN Gateway.

• Configure a Virtual Private Gateway: After creating an AWS Account, head to the VPC page and select “Create Virtual Private Gateway” to designate the gateway to your VPC.

• Create A Customer Gateway: Next, create a Customer Gateway with your office or data center’s public IP address. This is to ensure that AWS can properly connect the customer gateway to your VPN Gateway.

• Create a VPN Connection: From the VPC page, find the “VPN Connections” tab, then click “Create VPN Connection” to set up a connection between your Customer Gateway and your Virtual Private Gateway. You will pick an IPsec policy, and configure the tunnel with your remote peer’s public IP.

• Create a Resource Group: You will also have to create a Resource Group to simply access your virtual private gateway.

• Configure IKEv2 IPsec: To use IKEv2 IPsec, you will need to generate an RSA preshared key to authenticate your tunnel and ensure secure communication between your VPG and CPG. To do this, you will need to enter the expected external IP addresses of your peers and provide an authentication phrase. This authentication phrase will be used to configure the IPsec policy.

• Test Your Connection: Once the connection configuration is done, you can use the VPC’s Route Table tab to evaluate the connection. This will make sure that your traffic is properly being sent through the tunnel. After this, you can test the connection to make sure that the connection was created successfully and your tunnel is correctly established.

Configuring IKEv2 IPsec VPN on AWS

1. Create a Virtual Private Cloud in Amazon Web Services

a. Log in to the AWS Console

b. In the services menu, open the network and security section

c. Click the ‘Create Virtual Private Cloud’ button

d. Enter a descriptive name for your VPN

e. Change the VPN’s CIDR block to something like 10.0.0.0/16

f. Select an appropriate IP range for the VPC

g. Create a Security Group for the VPC h. Click ‘Create’

2. Create the IKEv2 Connection

a. In the AWS console, open the network and security section

b. Select the Connections tab, and click the ‘Create Connection’ button

c. Enter a descriptive name for the connection

d. Select the IKEv2 connection type

e. Select the VPC you created in step 1

f. Provide the appropriate region

g. Provide the authentication settings, including encryption, key length, and authentication methodology

h. Select the tunnel mode

i. Provide the IP address or hostname of the IKEv2 server

3. Create an EC2 Instance

a. In the AWS console, open the Compute section

b. Click the ‘Launch Instance’ button

c. Select the appropriate EC2 instance type

d. Select the VPC you created in step 1

e. Select the Security Group you created in step 1

f. Select the appropriate IP range

g. Select the appropriate Availability Zone

h. Click ‘Next’

i. Add storage, and specify the size and type of storage

j. Add tags, if desired

k. Configure the instance with the appropriate settings

l. Select the appropriate operating system for the instance

m. Select the appropriate instance type

n. click ‘Next’

4. Connect the VPN

a. In the AWS Console, open the Network and Security section

b. Select the Connections tab, and select the IKEv2 connection you created in step 2

c. Click the ‘Launch Instance’ button

d. Enter the IP address or hostname of the IKEv2 server you configured in step 2

e. Enter the Authentication Settings you configured in step 2

f. Enter the Access Key ID and Secret Access Key for the instance

g. Select the appropriate tunnel mode