Islandr: Self-Hosted WireGuard Access Management

Islandr is a self-hosted solution for managing WireGuard® access, designed to securely connect remote workers, devices, and sites back to headquarters (HQ). This project combines a backend built with Quarkus and GraalVM into a single native binary, providing an efficient alternative to SaaS solutions.

Key Features

• Comprehensive Access Management: Simplifies the management of peers, users, and group-based access control lists (ACLs) through a user-friendly self-service portal, allowing employees to easily enroll their devices without needing to contact IT for configuration files.
• Flexible Infrastructure: Ideal for small teams and homelabs that require secure access management without relying on third-party services. Supports various setups, such as instances behind CG-NAT or routers lacking a WireGuard server mode.
• Data Sovereignty: Ensures that no connection metadata leaves your network, making this an excellent choice for organizations prioritizing data privacy.

Architecture Overview

Website: Islandr Gateway - Explore the setup guide and architecture overview.

Use Case Scenarios

Islandr is tailored for:

• Teams looking for a simple yet effective way to manage remote access.
• Organizations that wish to implement centralized user and ACL management across multiple sites.
• Situations where users need the ability to self-service their device configurations for true efficiency.

Technical Specifications

• Tech Stack: Utilizes Quarkus (Java 21) for the backend, Vue.js for the frontend, and SQLite/PostgreSQL for database management. The architecture supports both Docker container deployment and native installation.
• User-Friendly Interface: Features separate consoles for administrators and end-users, equipped with bilingual support (German/English) for wider accessibility.

How Islandr Works

At its core, Islandr consolidates essential tasks such as managing peers, configuring ACLs, and enforcing firewall rules under a single framework, vastly reducing the need for manual configuration. The logical architecture connects various devices, ensuring secure and managed VPN access.

[Road Warrior]──┐
[Home Office]───┼──wg peer──► [Hub VM / Islandr] ◄──wg peer──[UCG site]
[Mobile]────────┘

Current Status

Islandr is in early access, with core functionalities fully operational and live testing in progress. This phase provides an opportunity for feedback to refine and enhance the project moving towards a stable release version 1.0. Participation from users during this stage is crucial in shaping future updates and features.

Contributions and Support

Feedback is welcomed via GitHub Issues. Contributions are currently limited to issue reporting and suggestions as the project evolves.

Conclusion

Islandr is positioned as a powerful access management tool for organizations looking for privacy-focused, easy-to-manage remote access solutions. Its blend of flexibility, sovereign data control, and user empowerment truly sets it apart in the landscape of network management tools.