Cannot connect to OpenVPN VPS

[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

[newbie1975]

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.

[Gertjan]

@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.

[newbie1975]

@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.