First Timer Dabbling in VPN * Recommendations

Jbmeth007

Easy enough to check that your dynamic DNS is set correctly, from some computer:
nslookup xxx.no-ip.biz
The IP address should be the current WAN IP of your pfSense.
TLS handshake failed messages usually mean that the connect packet from the client never got through to the server. Make sure you have a firewall rule on WAN allowing incoming to WAN address port 1194.
If still no go, do packet capture on WAN looking for traffic coming to port 1194.

the xxx.no-ip.biz is arbitrary. it is intact dipslaying my correct address.. i just chose to hide it. precautionary.

i believe i set that rule already. I'll have to check it again when i get back home. I can still test vpn connection locally through the same network yes?

When i run the correct nslookup it does intact show my correct IP yet under Non-authoritive answer. It also shows opendns.com servers

kejianshi

You can use a lookup tool online to know if no-ip is working for you, or someone could ping your box and tell you.
Are you trying this from inside your own LAN? If so you will need NAT reflection enabled and thats IF NAT reflection will work with the UDP protocol, which for me, it doesn't at least 75% of the time, but oddly, does seem to work for my VPN. Best way to test is from outside the network of via a cell-phone broadcasted wifi hotspot.

Jbmeth007

@kejianshi:

You can use a lookup tool online to know if no-ip is working for you, or someone could ping your box and tell you.
Are you trying this from inside your own LAN? If so you will need NAT reflection enabled and thats IF NAT reflection will work with the UDP protocol, which for me, it doesn't at least 75% of the time, but oddly, does seem to work for my VPN. Best way to test is from outside the network of via a cell-phone broadcasted wifi hotspot.

I am testing using completely separate network at the moment. the lookup tool does resolve my correct IP. so my dynamic Dns is working. however if i ping my address or my name it does not respond. which may or may not be normal in this situation. Still new to VPN.

I'll keep in mind the NAT reflection when im at home. I can use a cell for external connection. I hope I keep my LTE signal. 3G over sprint is horrendous.

are Certs the same for setting up an IPSEC?

Basically what i'm trying to do is create a vpn that requires minimal third party clients.. I used openVPN as a test run with a third party client for simplicity reasons, but didn't turn out that way for a newb. for instantance at work, we use MAC. which they support L2TP, Cisco and PPTP Natively though configuration. I'm aiming for access to my NAS from work and extras. web browsing, file shares, RDP if needed etc.

kejianshi

I'd go with openvpn totally and nothing else. I'd also put it off the usual openvpn port.
My IPsec server gets chewed on daily and nightly by the nice guys in Shanghai and Beijing (Thanks China).

I think OpenVPN is mo-betta.

As far as ping, did you open ICMP on your WAN?

OpenVPN is crazy easy to set up. Like 1 or 2 minutes.

Jbmeth007

@kejianshi:

OpenVPN is crazy easy to set up. Like 1 or 2 minutes.

Maybe thats why i can't get it to work.. tooo easy. haha. ok sounds good to me. only confusing part on the openVPN tunneling setup it asks for IPs.

Given my default VLAN is using 192.168.1.1

IPv4 Tunnel Netwok IP setting, do i choose a random IP on my subnet or create one whatever i want.

IPv4 Local Networks should be 192.168.1.0/24

i did not open ICMP, ~~is it nessissary?~~ Yes it is.

Jbmeth007

ok I got it to connect, and its working via cell. but it doesn't see anything on my network.. only loads webpages.. i'm sure its my tunneling settings.

What should i put in place if im trying to get on my local VLAN.

kejianshi

Did you set up a site to site or are you using "Wizard" to set up the VPN and then exporting client configs to something like a windows laptop?

(Viscosity = MAC) But did you use wizard? Are you using client export package? Are you forcing all traffic across the VPN?

Also, about all that 192.168.x.x stuff, what is the IP of your pfsense LAN? The IP of the LAN your MAC (I guess) is sitting on?

Jbmeth007

My Local VLAN is 192.168.1.1 DHCP enabled from .50-.200 opp, forgot yes. used wizard. and client export for keys

it connects and gives me the ip i set in the tunner whatever the e.g. was. 10.0.8.x something or a nother.. but doesn't see anything on 192.168.1.1 should i set the vpn tunnel to something like an address that isn't dhcp handled but in the same subnet?

kejianshi

So, you have 192.168.1.1 in use on your network and its also in use on like half the networks on the planet. (Half is probably an understatement).

So, thats not good. I'd change your network IP addresses.

Jbmeth007

ok no problem. saw that Force all client generated traffic through tunnel. I should enable this yes?

kejianshi

Yes - If you want to VPN everything… Most of the time, yes.

Jbmeth007

Thanks for all your Help. its working.. Your awesome.. Now i can brew my coffee from work, oh and apparently tie my show laces as well

kejianshi

I hear they have an IP waiting for every ounce of matter on earth… No way possible to burn through all those addresses.

I imagine the settlers of the USA felt the same way about the trees here when they arrived, and yet...

Nano-machines will need IPs. We will find some way to exhaust them. Thats what we are best at. Using stuff up. :-\

Jbmeth007

isn't that what ipv6 is for. or are you including that in all 20oz. which by the way is broken for me at the moment. rtt gets worse and worse the longer i leave it connected.

kejianshi

Just lost me… RTT to what?

(Yeah - I was talking IPV6)

Jbmeth007

RTT to my ISP WAN address

status_rrd_graph_img.png_thumb

kejianshi

I've seen worse… I've seen better.
What are you thinking?

Jbmeth007

i'm not sure, i thought id give ipv6 a shot see what the hype is about since the modem supports it. didn't like the result.

kejianshi

Ohhhhh - Thats not an inherent problem of IPV6. Thats probably a setting, a bug or some issue with ISP or something. For me, the hype about IPV6 is being able to get a huge big bundle of public addresses for my servers without paying a bunch of money extra for each IP. (This is probably part of the reason IPV6 isn't already everywhere - Its easier to sell water for high prices in a desert)

jimp

If you're on 2.1, that RRD quality graph issue is probably from a bug we're working on in apinger, not your actual latency to the ISP