(SOLVED) Local Name resolution with OpenVPN

WJHildreth · Jan 10, 2017, 9:08 PM

Hello all,

This is a beginner question of sorts, but I am unsure how to do it. I have OpenVPN configured on my pfSense box and it seems to work just fine. I can get to the stuff on my home network, and all the other things I want to do. However, I would like to be able to use local machine names on my home network to interact with them. For example, I use Kodi Media Center is a shared database and the media is mapped via SMB shares. On my laptop, I would like to watch my media while I am on the road. The communication with the MySQL server works fine since it uses an IP adrress, but the database refers to files that are part of a named SMB share, like smb://computer/share/media_file/

Now, if I add a hosts entry for the machine that has the SMB share all works well.

So my question is, how to I get OpenVPN to lookup names of devices on my home LAN, for example by computername or computername.domain

I am running pfSense v 2.3.2-RELEASE-p1 (i386)

Thanks for your patience with this newbie first time poster and pfSense user.

Joe

viragomann · Jan 10, 2017, 11:08 PM

If you run a name server in your network, provide it to the vpn client by entering the servers address in the "DNS Server 1" box in the OpenVPN server settings. Also you will have to enter the DNS default domain above. Try to access the shares with the FQDN.
If yor provide your shares by NetBIOS only, check "Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP".

WJHildreth · Jan 11, 2017, 10:39 PM

That was the ticket. Thank you for your help. It works correct now.

Joe