AWS Site-to-Site VPN
OfficialFreeEasily configure AWS Site-to-Site VPN connections.
Free · Opens the source repo
What AWS Site-to-Site VPN does
The AWS Site-to-Site VPN skill provides comprehensive guidance for establishing an encrypted IPsec VPN connection between an on-premises network and an Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC). This skill is particularly useful for network engineers and system administrators who need to connect data centers or branch offices to AWS securely. It covers essential tasks such as selecting the appropriate routing method—static or dynamic (BGP)—and determining the required tunnel bandwidth, whether Standard (1.25 Gbps) or Large (5 Gbps).
In addition to creating the VPN connection, this skill also addresses the configuration of the customer gateway device and strategies for ensuring high availability of the connection. Users can consolidate multiple low-bandwidth sites through a VPN Concentrator, making it easier to manage numerous connections without needing individual high-bandwidth setups for each site. The references provided within the skill offer step-by-step procedures, decision tables, and troubleshooting tips to streamline the entire process.
Monitoring and troubleshooting capabilities are also included, allowing users to detect and resolve issues with their VPN tunnels using AWS CloudWatch metrics and alarms. By following the structured approach laid out in the references, users can ensure that their VPN connections are robust and reliable, facilitating seamless communication between their on-premises infrastructure and AWS. This skill is ideal for organizations looking to enhance their cloud connectivity while maintaining strong security protocols.
When to use it
Use this skill when you need to establish a secure VPN connection from your on-premises infrastructure to an AWS VPC, particularly when dealing with multiple sites or specific routing requirements.
When not to use it
This skill is not suitable for configuring AWS Direct Connect, individual remote user connections via Client VPN, or managing DNS work with Route 53.
What you can build with it
Connecting a Data Center to AWS
Use this skill to establish a secure Site-to-Site VPN connection between your data center and AWS VPC.
Consolidating Multiple Sites
Implement a VPN Concentrator to connect multiple low-bandwidth sites through a single AWS attachment.
Troubleshooting VPN Issues
Utilize the monitoring and troubleshooting references to diagnose and resolve down tunnel problems.
How to install AWS Site-to-Site VPN
View source1. Install with the skills CLI
npx skills add aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws/sitetositevpn --agent claude-code2. Or install it manually
Download the skill folder and drop it into ~/.claude/skills/ for all projects, or .claude/skills/ to scope it to one repo. Restart Claude Code so it picks up the new skill.
Anthropic's agentic coding CLI, and the reference implementation of Agent Skills. Drop a skill folder into ~/.claude/skills and Claude Code loads it automatically whenever a task matches the skill's description. Claude Code docs
Inside SKILL.md
Written by awsAWS Site-to-Site VPN
Overview
Domain expertise for configuring AWS Site-to-Site VPN, the managed service that builds an encrypted IP Security (IPsec) connection between an on-premises network and AWS. Covers the routing decision (static versus dynamic (BGP) routing), creating the connection and its dependent resources in the right order, sizing tunnel bandwidth, consolidating many sites through a VPN Concentrator, applying the customer gateway device configuration, building for high availability, and monitoring and troubleshooting tunnels.
This skill is a router. Each customer task maps to a procedure file under references/. Read the
matching reference in full before acting, then follow its constraints and steps. The reference
files are self-contained: each carries its own decision tables, constraints, procedure, and
troubleshooting.
Execute commands using the AWS MCP server when connected (sandboxed execution, audit logging,
observability). Fall back to the AWS CLI otherwise. Site-to-Site VPN is a regional service: pass
--region {region} matching the VPC or transit gateway the connection terminates on.
Which Site-to-Site VPN task do you need?
| Goal | Reference |
|---|---|
| Decide between static and dynamic (BGP) routing before creating a connection | choosing static or dynamic routing |
| Create an encrypted VPN connection from on-premises to a VPC | creating a site-to-site vpn connection |
| Size tunnel bandwidth at Standard (1.25 Gbps) or Large (5 Gbps) | choosing tunnel bandwidth |
| Connect 25 or more low-bandwidth sites through one shared attachment | connecting many sites with a vpn concentrator |
| Configure the on-premises customer gateway device | applying the customer gateway device configuration |
| Make the connection survive tunnel maintenance and device failure | making a connection highly available |
| Detect a down tunnel and find out why | monitoring and troubleshooting tunnels |
Routing notes
- Decide routing before you build. The static-versus-dynamic decision shapes the customer gateway, the failover behavior, and whether the customer can control which routes enter their network. Run the choosing-static-or-dynamic-routing reference before creating the connection so the customer does not have to recreate it to change routing type.
- The target gateway gates almost everything. A virtual private gateway terminates the VPN at one VPC. A transit gateway fronts many VPCs and is the only target that supports Large (5 Gbps) tunnels, equal-cost multi-path (ECMP) bandwidth aggregation, IPv6 customer gateways, and the VPN Concentrator. The gateway choice lives in the creating reference and is referenced again by the bandwidth and concentrator references, because picking a virtual private gateway closes those doors.
- Bandwidth sizing vs the Concentrator. Both scale capacity, in opposite directions. Large tunnels give one connection more throughput (up to 5 Gbps per tunnel); the Concentrator gives many low-bandwidth sites a shared 5 Gbps attachment so each site does not need its own full-bandwidth connection. Match the reference to whether the customer has one high-throughput site or many small ones.
- AWS side vs device side. Creating the connection and downloading the configuration happen on the AWS side; applying that configuration happens on the customer's on-premises device, which AWS never touches. The applying-the-customer-gateway-device-configuration reference is device-side education, not an AWS-side step.
- Monitoring is its own task. Detecting and diagnosing a down tunnel (CloudWatch metrics, alarms, and VPN logs) is the monitoring reference, separate from building the connection.
Additional Resources
Frequently asked questions about AWS Site-to-Site VPN
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