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    Cannot connect to OpenVPN VPS

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved OpenVPN
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    • N
      newbie1975
      last edited by newbie1975

      Keep getting these errors:

      • Exiting due to fatal error
      • FreeBSD ifconfig failed: external program exited with error status: 1

      I have imported the generated openvpn config file (from OpenVPN on VPS) info my laptop (Linux) and it works fine! It connects and I can browse internet.

      However, this does not work when I try to connect my pfSense 2.5 box (as a client) to my new OpenVPN VPS server. It seems to connect, but in the end:

      • Exiting due to fatal error
      • FreeBSD ifconfig failed: external program exited with error status: 1

      I have tried two different VPS providers, one with Centos/OpenVPN Access Server and one with Debian 10/OpenVPN script from hxxps://github.com/Angristan/OpenVPN-install. Both work with laptop (no problem connecting and using internet), but cannot connect from pfSense and receive above errors.

      I have checked for overlapping IP ranges, but cannot find any. OpenVPN pushes 10.8.0.0/24 and my LAN is on 192.168.x.0/24.

      Any ideas how to solve this? (if have searched everywhere for similar issues and solutions). Any help would be great!

      Configfiles.txt

      N GertjanG 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • N
        newbie1975 @newbie1975
        last edited by

        Tried a third option: pfSense install on VPS. Same errors.

        After a lot of changing configs I finally fixed it: removed (almost all) other configuration under "Custom options" under "Advanced Configuration". After restarting the VPN everything now worked!

        Under the custom options I had copied the configs from OpenVPN config file. I think they were correct, but perhaps also double (as also in GUI some of these options were set). Removing these custom options were the solution.

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • GertjanG
          Gertjan @newbie1975
          last edited by

          @newbie1975 said in Cannot connect to OpenVPN VPS:

          However, this does not work when I try to connect my pfSense 2.5 box (as a client)

          So, implicit, I know what OpenVPN version you are using 2.5.0 - as pfSense 2.5.0 use that version.

          But here :

          @newbie1975 said in Cannot connect to OpenVPN VPS:

          (from OpenVPN on VPS

          what is the OpenVPN version on that VPS ?

          It is known that :
          Version 2.5.0 (or 2.5.1 ?) works fine with 2.5.0 or 2.5.1.
          2.5.0 can have issue / needs special care if it needs to connect to an older OpenVPN version, like the 2.4.x

          See this forum for a couple of thousand of caveats.

          @newbie1975 said in Cannot connect to OpenVPN VPS:

          hxxps://github.com/Angristan/OpenVPN-install

          What wrong with the real thing : "from the source" :

          apt-get install openvpn
          

          True, on a vanilla Debian 10 you'll get a 'rather old but still ok) version 2.4.7 OpenVPN.
          So, a little more then the usual care is needed to make 2.4.7 work with 2.5.0.

          Btw : the OpenVPN (forum, FAQ) support is loaded with advise and example how to make them talk to each other.

          No "help me" PM's please. Use the forum, the community will thank you.
          Edit : and where are the logs ??

          N 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • N
            newbie1975 @Gertjan
            last edited by

            @gertjan said in Cannot connect to OpenVPN VPS:

            what is the OpenVPN version on that VPS ?

            2.4.7-1, but there was also a backport available, which I installed: 2.5.0-1.

            What wrong with the real thing : "from the source" : apt-get install openvpn

            Nothing, wrong, but first wanted to try an "easy" automated setup. But now that I know how to set things up, I might reinstall the VPS with clean Debian 10 and try with regular apt install openvpn.

            Btw : the OpenVPN (forum, FAQ) support is loaded with advise and example how to make them talk to each other.

            Thanks, but in the end, it seems it was only the (double) config in "Custom options" under "Advanced Configuration" causing all the problems.

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • D
              Daskwer
              last edited by

              I've suffered so much because of this meh

              D 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • D
                Daskwer @Daskwer
                last edited by

                I tried to deal with this problem independently, but unfortunately, it didn't work out. For some reason, I didn't contact the PC engineer on this issue but changed my vps server to another windows server vps, and it seems that there were no more errors. The next time such errors occur, I will contact an engineer who will tell me what is wrong and how to solve this problem. The problem is that I don't always have the money to pay for the work of an engineer, and I want to continue to work comfortably. It's good that now there are many good vps servers, and everyone can choose the best one for themselves.

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
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