Azure Virtual Machine and VPN Lab

This tutorial walks you through setting up a virtual machine in Microsoft Azure, testing VPN connections, and observing the changes in IP addresses.

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Part 1: Create a Virtual Machine in Azure

1. Access Your Public IP Address

   • On your own machine, browse to WhatIsMyIPAddress.
   • Take note of your public IP address and save it in a text file for reference.

2. Create a Resource Group

   • Log into your Azure Portal: Azure Portal.
   • Navigate to Resource Groups and click Create.
   • Provide the following:
     • Resource Group Name: MyAzureVPNLab
     • Region: Select a region near you.
   • Click Review + Create, then Create.

3. Create a Virtual Machine

   • Navigate to Virtual Machines in the Azure Portal and click Create.
   • Select Azure Virtual Machine.
   • Fill out the following:
     • Name: MyWindowsVM
     • Region: Choose a region close to your geographic location or country from your current location.
     • Image: Windows 10 22H2.
     • Size: Select a size that has at least 2vcpus, and 8GiB memory.
     • Administrator Username and Password: Set your credentials.
   • Acknowledge licensing agreement & ensure Inbound Port Rules to allow RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol).
   • Click Review + Create, then Create.

4. Log into the Virtual Machine
   • After the VM is created, navigate to it in the Azure Portal.
   • Copy the Public IP Address of your VM.
   • Use Remote Desktop to connect to the VM:
     • Remote Desktop Address: Enter the Public IP Address of the VM.
     • Username and Password: Use the credentials you created earlier.
   • Once connected, open a web browser on the VM.

5. Check the VM's Public IP Address
   • In the VM, browse to WhatIsMyIPAddress.
   • Take note of the VM's public IP address and save it in a text file.

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Part 2: Sign Up for ProtonVPN and Test the VPN Connection

1. Sign Up for ProtonVPN

   • On your actual computer, go to ProtonVPN Sign-Up.
   • Create a free account.

2. Download ProtonVPN Client

   • In your VM, go to ProtonVPN Download.
   • Download and install the ProtonVPN client.

3. Log Into ProtonVPN

   • Open the ProtonVPN client in the VM.
   • Log in using your ProtonVPN account credentials: ProtonVPN Login.

4. Connect to a VPN Server

   • In the ProtonVPN client, choose a VPN server in a area different from your actual computer's location (Proton VPN requires payment to change countries).
   • Connect to the VPN server.

5. Check the VPN's Public IP Address
   • In the VM, browse to WhatIsMyIPAddress.
   • Take note of the new IP address and save it in a text file.

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Notes and Observations

• Save all IP addresses and observations in a text file for documentation purposes.
• Compare the behavior of websites and the changes in IP addresses to understand the effects of geographic location and VPN usage.
• From this lab, here are my documented IP addresses & their changes:

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