Unable to acces LAN from WAN using OpenVPN
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This is strange: I can connect to OpenVPN from my WAN. I can surf web pages when connected. However, I cant get into my LAN (shared folders or my Pioneer Receiver). Any idea what I'm doing wrong?
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Do you mean you can't access them at all? Or that you can't browse for them? Browsing uses broadcasts, which don't pass through a router.
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So to clarify: I'm using my iPhone with OpenVPN client App outside my LAN (WAN with AT&T Data) to connect to my pfsense/OpenVPN server. It connects fine. However, some of the devices on my LAN are unreachable e.g. my Pioneer stereo system, which works fine when I'm connected to WiFi at home (using the App). The pioneer is issued a LAN IP address: 192.168.1.17, but I cant connect from my iPhone using OpenVPN. Oddly enough, if connected to my home WiFi, and I use my iPhone OpenVPN App, it connects no problem with my Pioneer receiver. It seems when I connect to OpenVPN when I'm already on my LAN, all is good. However, connected from a WAN address seems problematic. Thoughts?
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Again, it could be routing getting in the way. I have a Yamaha A/V receiver, which uses multicasts. Routers do not normally pass multicasts, unless specifically configured to do so. There is a protocol to automagically do that.
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Thanks JKnott. Not exactly sure what multicast does. I don't want to listen to music over the OpenVPN connection. I only want to control the device. Is that multicast as well?
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Broadcasts & multicasts are often used for a variety of purposes. One purpose is Windows network browsing, which allows you to see all the shares, which you can then connect to. If there's a router in between that does not work. In that case, you'll have to manually set up the connection. Some devices, such as my TP-Link switch also rely on broadcasts/multicasts for configuration. In the case of my switch, it doesn't even have an IP address to connect to. So, if something works when connected to the same subnet but not through a router then it's likely due to broadcasts/multicasts.
The difference between broadcasts and multicasts is broadcasts go to every device on the local network, whereas multicasts are more selective.
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I used to have an Asus router with OpenVPN configured. I could control my Pioneer receiver from afar using OpenVPN on my iPhone. For whatever reason, I cant do that with PFSense. I am using PFSense with a Ubiquiti manged switch. Is there something else I need to do to control that receiver? Truth be told, it's not critical. Just wondering why it wont work with PFSense.
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Fire up Wireshark or Packet Capture to see what's on the wire. If it works with the Asus router, but not pfsense, it's likely a filter issue. It's hard to say though, without knowing what's actually happening. Since it worked with the Asus router, it's probably not using broadcast or multicast.
