Introduction to VyOS

VyOS is an open‐source, Linux‐based network operating system, tailor‐made for professional routing, firewalling, and VPN services. If youve ever dreamed of turning a humble old PC—or a shiny new virtual machine—into a Swiss‐Army network appliance, VyOS is your answer.

Warning: You may find yourself burning with excitement as packets zoom through your interfaces. Side effects include geek pride, uncontrollable urge to tweak BGP, and random bursts of routing table poetry.

Why Choose VyOS?

• Fully Open Source: No vendor lock‐in and no sneaky license fees.
• Flexible: Run on bare metal, as a VM, inside containers or even on Raspberry Pi (for the brave).
• Powerful: Supports OSPF, BGP, IPSec, OpenVPN, policy‐based routing, and more.
• Community Documentation: A thriving community official docs to save your day.

System Requirements

Prerequisites

1. PC or VM with virtualization enabled in BIOS/UEFI.
2. VyOS ISO (download from downloads.vyos.io).
3. USB stick (4 GB ) or virtual ISO mount.
4. Patience—but only a little, because this is quick!

Step 1: Download Verify VyOS ISO

1.1 Visit the official downloads page:
https://downloads.vyos.io/
1.2 Choose the latest stable release (e.g., vyos-1.4.x-iso).
1.3 Verify the checksum:

sha256sum vyos-1.4.x-iso
# Compare with .sha256 file provided

Step 2: Prepare Installation Media

Option A: Burn to USB stick (Linux example):

sudo dd if=vyos-1.4.x-iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress  sync

Option B: Attach ISO to virtual machine in VMware/VirtualBox/Proxmox.

Step 3: Boot Live Environment

1. Insert USB or mount ISO, then power on.
2. At the splash prompt, type install image and press Enter.
3. Wait for the VyOS live environment to load—feel free to appreciate the minimalist ASCII art.

Step 4: Configure Temporary Network (Optional)

If you need internet access during install:

set interfaces ethernet eth0 address dhcp
commit
save

Then test:

ping -c 3 google.com

Step 5: Run the Installer

1. Enter install image at the VyOS prompt.
2. Select target disk (beware: wipes all data!).
3. Confirm keyboard layout, timezone, and hostname.
4. Set an admin user password.
5. Wait as the installer gracefully copies system files—grab a coffee or recite your favorite RFC.
6. When complete, type reboot and eject the media.

Step 6: First Boot Login

At the login prompt:

login: vyos
password: (your password)

Welcome to your brand‐new VyOS box!

Step 7: Basic Configuration

Enter configuration mode:

configure

7.1 Set Interfaces

set interfaces ethernet eth0 address 192.168.1.1/24
set interfaces ethernet eth1 address 10.0.0.1/24
commit
save

7.2 Configure Default Route

set protocols static route 0.0.0.0/0 next-hop 192.168.1.254
commit
save

7.3 Enable SSH

set service ssh port 22
commit
save

Step 8: Advanced Networking

• Firewall: set firewall name WAN_IN default-action drop, then allow established and specific ports.
• VPN: IPSec or OpenVPN are just a few commands away.
• Routing: BGP, OSPF, policy‐based routing mdash follow the official docs for deep dives.

Troubleshooting Tips

• No DHCP? Ensure the cable is plugged in and the server is reachable.
• Configuration Lost? Always save after commit. It’s like flossing—easy to skip, painful to regret.
• Revert Last Commit: rollback followed by commit and save.

Upgrading VyOS

1. Download new ISO or mount remote.
2. Run add system image command:

add system image vyos-1.4.y-iso
save
reboot

After reboot, verify the new version:

show version

Resources Community

• Official Website
• Documentation
• Community Forum
• GitHub

Conclusion

Congratulations! You now have a fully functional VyOS router/firewall on your network. Whether you’re a home lab tinkerer or a seasoned network engineer, VyOS offers the flexibility and power you crave—without the corporate vendor markup.

Final tip: Keep experimenting, read RFCs for fun, and remember that every configured packet is a tiny victory march of nerd triumph.