OpenVPN alternative for remote access
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"This means I can't get them to work together at the same time no matter what I have tried."
Where have you asked - this literally clickity clickity and its up and running.. They have zero to do with each other.. You run through the wizard and setup server.. You setup your client to use whatever vpn service you want. They have nothing to do with each other..
Thank you very much for your reply!
I should have probably openend a new thread in the first place. I just didn't for the economy of space in the forum.Below there are 2 threads I have asked for help. These are threads where the OPs had similar problems with mine.
https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=129528.msg764283#msg764283
https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=76015.msg764220#msg764220
My problem is that although both the server and the PIA client work, they simply don't at the same time. If I disable my PIA client I can connect to my LAN from my Android phone while if I disable the OpenVPN server running on my pfSense, I get back my PIA encrypted connection.
EDIT: I also followed this tutorial up to the point it refers to Plex which is obviously not related to my case.
https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=127895.0 Therefore, I created separate interfaces for both the server and the client and given priority to PIA and OpenVPN under the outbound tab. All to no avail. Nothing's changed.I read somehwre there is a problem with pfSense 2.4.x and running both an OpenVPN server and a client.
Would I have any luck if I tried an older pfSense version? -
"Where have you asked - this literally clickity clickity and its up and running."
No, not really. I have had trouble trying to get OpenVPN running too. The wizard assumes that you already have considerable knowledge of how OpenVPN is configured.
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@gtj:
I read somehwre there is a problem with pfSense 2.4.x and running both an OpenVPN server and a client. Would I have any luck if I tried an older pfSense version?
Works for me. I have 2.4.1. I can connect from outside of the network via Openvpnserver on Pfsense whilst pfsense has 2 openvpn clients connected to other VPN servers. Check NAT and firewall rules.
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Works for me. I have 2.4.1. I can connect from outside of the network via Openvpnserver on Pfsense whilst pfsense has 2 openvpn clients connected to other VPN servers. Check NAT and firewall rules.
I have no doubt it works. It's the configuration that trips me up. And the "wizard" does not hold my hand enough to make it work, I guess.
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You can connect to Openvpn server and access resources on your network? Login to Webadmin etc?
I'm guessing you want to use the connection to PIA to give internet access when you are logged in the Pfsense box via Openvpn Server?
If client works independently from server, then it's not a problem with Openvpn.
Can you use the WAN port to browse whilst connected via Openvpn Server?
Maybe post what your setup for others to look at? Logs from Openvpn? -
Thanks everyone for your answers.
I finally got to set it up and can confirm there's a bug with 2.4.1! If it's not a bug there, I can't think what had been causing me trouble for almost a week now.
I'm leaving the procedure I followed here for future reference.
1)Installed pfSense 2.3.5
2)Started configuring the OpenVPN server.
However, it wouldn't let me install the export client (it was asking me to upgrade) so I had to install it from the terminal. I'm missing what I eventually run in the terminal to install the package. It was a bundle of 3 commands that I can't recall where I found them. If I get to find which they were I will edit the post.3)After OpenVPN was installed and showed it was active I installed the PIA client following the official guide. I've just created a dedicated interface (PIA) instead of using the generic option (OpenVPN) provided in that guide and used the PIA interface to generate the values in the outbound tab.
Everything is up and running now at last…
FYI, before installing an older build I tried this procedure with a fresh install of 2.4.1 and failed. -
@gtj:
Thanks everyone for your answers.
I finally got to set it up and can confirm there's a bug with 2.4.1! If it's not a bug there, I can't think what had been causing me trouble for almost a week now.
Which bug did you discover exactly? Can you provide more details?
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@gtj:
Thanks everyone for your answers.
I finally got to set it up and can confirm there's a bug with 2.4.1! If it's not a bug there, I can't think what had been causing me trouble for almost a week now.
Which bug did you discover exactly? Can you provide more details?
I couldn't get the server and client to work together under 2.4.1 no matter what.
I had to go back to the older 2.3.5 to get them working at the same time despite I had followed the above procedure numerous times on the latest 2.4.1 version.I'm pretty sure I read somewhere something similar and that was what triggered me in the first place to try an older build. So I guess I'm not alone with this.
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"I couldn't get the server and client to work together under 2.4.1 no matter what."
This not info… What did you do exactly... For starters.
"However, it wouldn't let me install the export client (it was asking me to upgrade)"You setup is borked somewhere if you couldn't install the export package.. And that package also has ZERO to do with actually running openvpn or setting up a client connection to a vpn service.
You need to give details of what you believe is not working.. I had servers running and clients connected all through 2.4 RC and 2.4 Release... I am currently waiting for my new pfsense hardware to get here so currently have no vpns setup either server or client... As soon as my hardware gets here I will be setting both of those up again.. Or I could fire up a VM and test this out.. I find it highly highly unlikely there is an "bug" preventing running both server and client.
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"I couldn't get the server and client to work together under 2.4.1 no matter what."
This not info… What did you do exactly... For starters.
"However, it wouldn't let me install the export client (it was asking me to upgrade)"You setup is borked somewhere if you couldn't install the export package.. And that package also has ZERO to do with actually running openvpn or setting up a client connection to a vpn service.
You need to give details of what you believe is not working.. I had servers running and clients connected all through 2.4 RC and 2.4 Release... I am currently waiting for my new pfsense hardware to get here so currently have no vpns setup either server or client... As soon as my hardware gets here I will be setting both of those up again.. Or I could fire up a VM and test this out.. I find it highly highly unlikely there is an "bug" preventing running both server and client.
I was expecting this kind of feedback.
I installed version 2.3.5, the official build provided in the main download page, and not one of the archived versions. After installation of pfSense, it wouldn't let me install the export client, reporting that there were missing packages. The export client might not be directly associated with the OpenVPN installation (both server and client) but it is the only way I know on how to export the configuration files and distribute them to my various clients. Thus, I couldn't get anywhere further without it.
As for whether there is a bug or not, as I'm obviously not that ''knowledgeable'' as yourself to provide more info with regards to what I did or didn't do, I can only urge you to try it for yourself when you receive your new hardware. The only thing I'm aware of and had to learn the hard way, is what I went through for 4 days (and nights) trying to set both OpenVPN instances running at the same time on the same machine on 2.4.1
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@gtj:
As for whether there is a bug or not, as I'm obviously not that ''knowledgeable'' as yourself to provide more info with regards to what I did or didn't do, I can only urge you to try it for yourself when you receive your new hardware.
There are many users who are using 2.4.1 with both client and server who are not having this issue. My tunnels are up all day, everyday for client/server. Seems more likely that you have a configuration problem and without logs, it's very difficult to diagnose.
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@gtj:
As for whether there is a bug or not, as I'm obviously not that ''knowledgeable'' as yourself to provide more info with regards to what I did or didn't do, I can only urge you to try it for yourself when you receive your new hardware.
There are many users who are using 2.4.1 with both client and server who are not having this issue. My tunnels are up all day, everyday for client/server. Seems more likely that you have a configuration problem and without logs, it's very difficult to diagnose.
Did you set up your OpenVPN on an older version and then upgraded to 2.4.1?
That way the settings might had migrated correctly to the newer version.I'm not saying I'm right and everyone else is wrong. What I'm saying is that I tried many times on 2.4.1 and failed while on 2.3.5 I was successful from the first try, so chances are there is a bug.
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@gtj:
Did you set up your OpenVPN on an older version and then upgraded to 2.4.1?
Yes.
Is your Pfsesne client settings in 2.4x compatible with PIA settings? This is where things have changed. Maybe you should check with the VPN server provider what are the client settings for Openvpn 2.4x
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@gtj:
Did you set up your OpenVPN on an older version and then upgraded to 2.4.1?
Yes.
Is your Pfsesne client settings in 2.4x compatible with PIA settings? This is where things have changed. Maybe you should check with the VPN server provider what are the client settings for Openvpn 2.4x
I thought about what you say.
Even if I had trouble in the beginning, I eventually set up the PIA client on 2.4.1 and was working flawlessly with excellent speeds and sub 20's latency at all times. Therefore, it can't be the PIA configuration.
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Ok. So please post some logs which will help to identify your problem when you are running ovpn Server and ovpn clients connected to PIA on Pfsense 2.4.1. Telling us you found a bug and then not backing this up with data is pointless.
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Ok. So please post some logs which will help to identify your problem when you are running ovpn Server and ovpn clients connected to PIA on Pfsense 2.4.1. Telling us you found a bug and then not backing this up with data is pointless.
I would if I could as now got a working machine.
There were literally dozens of times I tried different configurations or even installations that I lost the count in the end. Even when I decided to go the ''older version'' route I wasn't expecting much so I didn't keep any relevant info, data or logs. -
So I fired up a VM of pfsense.. running 2.4.1
I created a client connection, big bang zoom connected..
I then created a server connection.. Running just fine..This took all of 5 minutes to setup.. Your going to have to give us some details if you want us to help you other than saying its not working.. Like the openvpn log of client connetion.. The log of the server starting, etc..
Attached you can client connected and server running..
