VPN/Private Internet Access with WireGuard & Port Forwarding on Ubuntu 20.04

After installing Ubuntu, a good practice is to protect your web surfing from prying eyes. Installing a VPN like Private Internet Access with port forwarding is the goal of this guide.

Installing PIA, WireGuard & Port Forwarding

1. Open a browser, like Firefox.
2. Go to https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/installer/x/download_installer_linux and save file.
3. Navigate thru Files > Downloads then right-click to choose “Open in Terminal”
   OR
   Open a Terminal, then $ cd Downloads
4. Run the PIA installer:
   $ sh pia-linux-x.x.x-xxxxx.run
5. The PIA app should open itself after installation completes.
6. Click on the 3-dots on the top right and access “Settings”
   • General
     • Launch on System Startup – CHECK
     • Connect on Launch – CHECK
   • Protocol
     • Choose WireGuard
   • Network
     • Request Port Forwarding – CHECK
   • Privacy
     • VPN Kill Switch, Advanced Kill Switch, PIA Mace – CHECK
7. Close settings.
8. Provide PIA login credentials and log onto the VPN.
   ***CLICK ON THE BIG ORANGE BUTTON; ONCE IT TURNS GREEN, YOU ARE LOGGED IN.
9. Once logged in, note the port provided from port forwarding.

Now your web surfing is protected. Head over to https://www.whatismyip.com/ and verify the VPN is working by comparing your new public IP against the one provided by your ISP. Using the port forwarded to you by PIA, you can apply it to your torrent client like qBittorent, which we will discuss HERE.

References
1. Linux – Installing the PIA App – Private Internet Access

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