2.1 / OpenVPN /PIA: can't get it to work

[Mr. Jingles]

G'day lovers of the finest firewall in the world  ;D

I am at a new attempt to use a VPN client to 'privatize' my internet usage a little bit more. Given the recommendations in this forum in some threads that PIA, PrivateInternetAccess, is a solid choice I bought a one month subscription to see if I could get it to work.

And of course, I couldn't  :-[

As another member already said: the PIA 'tutorial' sucks big time (VacantSouls, here: https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=65597.0). (The PIA tuto is here, btw: it leaves out at least 70% of the config: https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/pages/client-support/#pfsense_openvpn).

So, as many people did, I followed this tutorial here:

http://www.komodosteve.com/archives/232

However, that doesn't seem to work for me either. Right under Enable Interface, KomodoSteve writes:

[quote]
Go to System: Routing and make sure the Gateway has an IP address

For me (of course  ;D) it doesn't. I do have a private IP address, however, 10.145.1.6 (screenshot).

I tried the NAT-thing that KomodoSteve writed about afterwards, I rebooted the box, but nothing.

As, with many things in life (except for economics and accounting  :P) I don't actually have a clue what I am doing and what I am to do next.

I also did look in the config file that member VacantSould posted in the above, and I think most looks similar to what I have configured in the GUI (screenshot). There is an exception, 'though, as in this config file there is also this:

<caref>51a27acd681a9</caref>
<certref>3e123151f39f9</certref>

I have no clue why and how that is there, and how and where I should add something as similar to this in my config (I have no clue where his config file comes from in the first place).

I am emailed this error as well:

ERROR: FreeBSD route delete command failed: external program exited with error status: 1

Which appears to happen randomly (as I tried to set it up 7 times now, and two times I got this error, 5 times I did not get this error. I am pretty sure I did exactly the same thing 7 times). I found several threads in this forum with that error, but none of them had information my limited brain could understand.

The OpenVPN-log in the GUI says this:

Apr 14 16:52:59 openvpn[63808]: Initialization Sequence Completed
Apr 14 16:52:59 openvpn[63808]: /usr/local/sbin/ovpn-linkup ovpnc1 1500 1542 10.145.1.6 10.145.1.5 init
Apr 14 16:52:59 openvpn[63808]: /sbin/ifconfig ovpnc1 10.145.1.6 10.145.1.5 mtu 1500 netmask 255.255.255.255 up
Apr 14 16:52:59 openvpn[63808]: do_ifconfig, tt->ipv6=1, tt->did_ifconfig_ipv6_setup=0
Apr 14 16:52:59 openvpn[63808]: TUN/TAP device /dev/tun1 opened
Apr 14 16:52:59 openvpn[63808]: TUN/TAP device ovpnc1 exists previously, keep at program end
Apr 14 16:52:56 openvpn[63808]: [server] Peer Connection Initiated with [AF_INET]46.165.208.194:1194
Apr 14 16:52:56 openvpn[63808]: WARNING: this configuration may cache passwords in memory – use the auth-nocache option to prevent this
Apr 14 16:52:56 openvpn[63808]: UDPv4 link remote: [AF_INET]46.165.208.194:1194
Apr 14 16:52:56 openvpn[63808]: UDPv4 link local (bound): [AF_INET]–-MY CABLE ISP EXTERNAL ADDRESS HERE---
Apr 14 16:52:56 openvpn[63739]: NOTE: the current –script-security setting may allow this configuration to call user-defined scripts
Apr 14 16:52:56 openvpn[63739]: WARNING: No server certificate verification method has been enabled. See http://openvpn.net/howto.html#mitm for more info.
Apr 14 16:52:56 openvpn[63739]: OpenVPN 2.3.2 amd64-portbld-freebsd8.3 [SSL (OpenSSL)] [LZO] [eurephia] [MH] [IPv6] built on Jul 24 2013
Apr 14 16:52:56 openvpn[27116]: SIGTERM[hard,] received, process exiting
Apr 14 16:52:56 openvpn[27116]: /usr/local/sbin/ovpn-linkdown ovpnc1 1500 1542 10.115.1.6 10.115.1.5 init
Apr 14 16:52:56 openvpn[27116]: ERROR: FreeBSD route delete command failed: external program exited with error status: 1
Apr 14 16:52:56 openvpn[27116]: ERROR: FreeBSD route delete command failed: external program exited with error status: 1
Apr 14 16:52:56 openvpn[27116]: ERROR: FreeBSD route delete command failed: external program exited with error status: 1
Apr 14 16:52:56 openvpn[27116]: event_wait : Interrupted system call (code=4)
Apr 14 16:49:44 openvpn[27116]: Initialization Sequence Completed
Apr 14 16:49:44 openvpn[27116]: /usr/local/sbin/ovpn-linkup ovpnc1 1500 1542 10.115.1.6 10.115.1.5 init
Apr 14 16:49:44 openvpn[27116]: /sbin/ifconfig ovpnc1 10.115.1.6 10.115.1.5 mtu 1500 netmask 255.255.255.255 up
Apr 14 16:49:44 openvpn[27116]: do_ifconfig, tt->ipv6=1, tt->did_ifconfig_ipv6_setup=0
Apr 14 16:49:44 openvpn[27116]: TUN/TAP device /dev/tun1 opened
Apr 14 16:49:44 openvpn[27116]: TUN/TAP device ovpnc1 exists previously, keep at program end
Apr 14 16:49:42 openvpn[27116]: [server] Peer Connection Initiated with [AF_INET]46.165.208.194:1194
Apr 14 16:49:42 openvpn[27116]: WARNING: this configuration may cache passwords in memory – use the auth-nocache option to prevent this
Apr 14 16:49:42 openvpn[27116]: UDPv4 link remote: [AF_INET]46.165.208.194:1194
Apr 14 16:49:42 openvpn[27116]: UDPv4 link local (bound): [AF_INET] –-MY CABLE ISP EXTERNAL ADDRESS HERE---
Apr 14 16:49:42 openvpn[26850]: NOTE: the current –script-security setting may allow this configuration to call user-defined scripts
Apr 14 16:49:42 openvpn[26850]: WARNING: No server certificate verification method has been enabled. See http://openvpn.net/howto.html#mitm for more info.
Apr 14 16:49:41 openvpn[26850]: OpenVPN 2.3.2 amd64-portbld-freebsd8.3 [SSL (OpenSSL)] [LZO] [eurephia] [MH] [IPv6] built on Jul 24 2013

I've set this up on my WAN2, which is cable, as on my WAN1, which is VDSL, it refused to do it too, I forgot the exact errors (and in the mean time my pfSense crashed and spontaneously rebooted), but I do recall it was trying mtu 1500 whereas for VDSL this has to be 1492, so perhaps this has anything to do with it.

SO, I have no external IP and no gateway where KomodoSteve wrote I should have one. Rebooting the box didn't help, the deleting and recreation of the NAT-rules also didn't help. I also tried setting the PIA-interface to DHCP (guessing then it would take an external IP or something like that, but it didn't). I made pfSense crash hard when I changed the interface to PPPoE and enter my UID/PWD in the login details.

I don't know what to do next  :'(

Would anybody know what I can do to make this work? I've been trying for three days, and it is frustrating  :'(

I don't mind switching to a different VPN-provider if that is a better one (their own manual disappoints me, and given that it still is the same six months after member VacantSouls reported to them their manual is wrong I am already getting an implicit signal about their 'service'. On top of that, it appears that the 'BF-CBC (128-bit)' that PIA uses is insecure according to Phil Zimmermann, says at least the competitor: https://airvpn.org/topic/10213-installing-a-pfsense-box-with-airvpn/page-3).

Also, I don't mind making a bounty of this if somebody wants me to treat coffee  ;D

I will attach screenshots next.

Thank you in advance very much for any help  ;D

Bye,

EDIT: I found the missing part of the PIA 'support' manual ( ;D ;D ;D):

https://support.privateinternetaccess.com/?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/29/0/pfsense-20

Basically what this changes is that the CA-certificates are imported into the cert-manager, instead of feeding them to OpenVPN via advanced settings (auth-user-pass /etc/openvpn-password.txt and ca /etc/ca.crt). The end result however is the same: there is no gateway, although the internal 10.x address is there. And the log also shows exactly the same as I posted in the above.

:-[

[b]EDIT2: thanks to a much better tutorial by a competitor, IBVPN, http://www.ibvpn.com/billing/knowledgebase/63/OpenVPN-setup-on-pfSense-firewall.html, I discovered that the strange VPN6-name came from the fact that in system/routing it was IPv6 instead of IPv4. I changed it, restarted everything, but still nothing. I can't add a monitoring IP though, since I don't know which one it should be  :-X


[Mr. Jingles]

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[Mr. Jingles]

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[Mr. Jingles]

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[Mr. Jingles]

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[Mr. Jingles]

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[Mr. Jingles]

And the final pic:


[Mr. Jingles]

Hmmm  :P

Thanks to this fine thread:

https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=24435.msg126272#msg126272

I've added:

 verb 5

to the advanced settings of the OpenVPN client (part of the instruction in this thread is wrong, as:

21. In the 'Advanced' field, we need to enter several options, all separated by a ';'

leads to OpenVPN refusing to start. SO I just put it on a separate line, and then it starts again).

Anyway, the above thread says:

3. You need to look for is the line that says:

Code: [Select]

openvpn[49520]: PUSH: Received control message: 'PUSH_REPLY,redirect-gateway def1,dhcp-option DNS 195.24.72.6,dhcp-option DNS 83.243.8.6,dhcp-option DNS 4.2.2.4,route 10.0.61.1,topology net30,ifconfig 10.0.61.54 10.0.61.53'

4. If that line says 'redirect-gateway def1', then your pfSense should be routing all traffic over the VPN connection. Browse to a 'what's my IP' page, and see if your connection is coming from another IP than your own

Well, my log says just that:

Apr 14 18:53:43 openvpn[32022]: PUSH: Received control message: 'PUSH_REPLY,redirect-gateway def1,dhcp-option DNS 209.222.18.222,dhcp-option DNS 209.222.18.218,ping 10,route 10.155.1.1,topology net30,ifconfig 10.155.1.6 10.155.1.5'

The log is saying something else which I don't understand (but there are many, many, many things I don't understand  ;D):

Apr 14 18:53:43 openvpn[32022]: ROUTE_GATEWAY –-HERE IS MY EXTERNAL CABLE ISP---

Would the bold part make sense?

Thank you again for any help ;D,

Bye

[Mr. Jingles]

I forgot to add: I also disabled Snort on the WAN2-interface, thinking perhaps that would block something. But no results.

[Mr. Jingles]

I am a pitbull  ;D ;D ;D

Thanks to Elkmoose here: https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=48847.msg258640#msg258640

I went into:

/var/etc/openvpn and should have a name like "clientN.conf

In there I found:

dev ovpnc1
dev-type tun
tun-[b]ipv6[/b]
dev-node /dev/tun1
writepid /var/run/openvpn_client1.pid
#user nobody
#group nobody
script-security 3
daemon
keepalive 10 60
ping-timer-rem
persist-tun
persist-key
proto udp
cipher BF-CBC
up /usr/local/sbin/ovpn-linkup
down /usr/local/sbin/ovpn-linkdown
local ---MY OWN EXTERNAL CABLE ISP ADDRESS---
tls-client
client
lport 0
management /var/etc/openvpn/client1.sock unix
remote us-east.privateinternetaccess.com 1194
[b]ca /var/etc/openvpn/client1.ca 
cert /var/etc/openvpn/client1.cert 
key /var/etc/openvpn/client1.key [/b]
comp-lzo
auth-user-pass /etc/openvpn-password.txt
verb 5

I think I will try to change the ipv6 in ipv4 and see what gives.

I have no clue about the bold parts concerning the certificates. I think I would expect /etc/ca.crt.

[Mr. Jingles]

@Hollander:

I think I will try to change the ipv6 in ipv4 and see what gives.

Duh  :'(

It stopped, and the log insn't very clear:

System logs: general:

Apr 14 19:13:09 php: rc.filter_configure_sync: Could not find IPv6 gateway for interface(opt1).
Apr 14 19:13:09 php: rc.filter_configure_sync: Could not find IPv6 gateway for interface(wan).
Apr 14 19:13:09 php: rc.filter_configure_sync: Could not find IPv4 gateway for interface (wan).
Apr 14 19:13:08 php: rc.filter_configure_sync: The command '/sbin/route change -inet default dynamic' returned exit code '68', the output was 'route: bad address: dynamic'
Apr 14 19:13:05 check_reload_status: Reloading filter
Apr 14 19:13:05 php: /status_services.php: The command '/sbin/route change -inet default dynamic' returned exit code '68', the output was 'route: bad address: dynamic'
Apr 14 19:12:51 php: /index.php: The command '/sbin/route change -inet default dynamic' returned exit code '68', the output was 'route: bad address: dynamic'
Apr 14 19:12:51 php: /index.php: The command '/sbin/route change -inet default dynamic' returned exit code '68', the output was 'route: bad address: dynamic'
Apr 14 19:12:51 php: /index.php: The command '/sbin/route change -inet default dynamic' returned exit code '68', the output was 'route: bad address: dynamic'
Apr 14 19:12:51 php: /index.php: The command '/sbin/route change -inet default dynamic' returned exit code '68', the output was 'route: bad address: dynamic'
Apr 14 19:12:10 php: rc.filter_configure_sync: Could not find IPv6 gateway for interface(opt1).
Apr 14 19:12:10 php: rc.filter_configure_sync: Could not find IPv6 gateway for interface(wan).
Apr 14 19:12:10 php: rc.filter_configure_sync: Could not find IPv4 gateway for interface (wan).
Apr 14 19:12:09 php: rc.filter_configure_sync: The command '/sbin/route change -inet default dynamic' returned exit code '68', the output was 'route: bad address: dynamic'
Apr 14 19:12:07 php: /status_services.php: The command '/sbin/route change -inet default dynamic' returned exit code '68', the output was 'route: bad address: dynamic'
Apr 14 19:12:06 check_reload_status: Reloading filter
Apr 14 19:12:06 kernel: ovpnc1: link state changed to DOWN
Apr 14 19:11:52 sshd[62061]: Accepted keyboard-interactive/pam for root from 192.168.23.42 port 52118 ssh2

System logs: OpenVPN:

Apr 14 19:12:06 openvpn[32022]: SIGTERM[hard,] received, process exiting
Apr 14 19:12:06 openvpn[32022]: /usr/local/sbin/ovpn-linkdown ovpnc1 1500 1542 10.155.1.6 10.155.1.5 init
Apr 14 19:12:06 openvpn[32022]: Closing TUN/TAP interface
Apr 14 19:12:06 openvpn[32022]: /sbin/route delete -net 128.0.0.0 10.155.1.5 128.0.0.0
Apr 14 19:12:06 openvpn[32022]: /sbin/route delete -net 0.0.0.0 10.155.1.5 128.0.0.0
Apr 14 19:12:06 openvpn[32022]: /sbin/route delete -net 68.232.186.243 MY CABLE GATEWAY 255.255.255.255
Apr 14 19:12:06 openvpn[32022]: /sbin/route delete -net 10.155.1.1 10.155.1.5 255.255.255.255
Apr 14 19:12:06 openvpn[32022]: TCP/UDP: Closing socket
Apr 14 19:12:06 openvpn[32022]: event_wait : Interrupted system call (code=4)
Apr 14 18:53:43 openvpn[32022]: Initialization Sequence Completed
Apr 14 18:53:43 openvpn[32022]: /sbin/route add -net 10.155.1.1 10.155.1.5 255.255.255.255
Apr 14 18:53:43 openvpn[32022]: /sbin/route add -net 128.0.0.0 10.155.1.5 128.0.0.0
Apr 14 18:53:43 openvpn[32022]: /sbin/route add -net 0.0.0.0 10.155.1.5 128.0.0.0
Apr 14 18:53:43 openvpn[32022]: /sbin/route add -net 68.232.186.243 MY CABLE GATEWAY 255.255.255.255
Apr 14 18:53:43 openvpn[32022]: /usr/local/sbin/ovpn-linkup ovpnc1 1500 1542 10.155.1.6 10.155.1.5 init
Apr 14 18:53:43 openvpn[32022]: /sbin/ifconfig ovpnc1 10.155.1.6 10.155.1.5 mtu 1500 netmask 255.255.255.255 up
Apr 14 18:53:43 openvpn[32022]: do_ifconfig, tt->ipv6=1, tt->did_ifconfig_ipv6_setup=0
Apr 14 18:53:43 openvpn[32022]: TUN/TAP device /dev/tun1 opened
Apr 14 18:53:43 openvpn[32022]: TUN/TAP device ovpnc1 exists previously, keep at program end
Apr 14 18:53:43 openvpn[32022]: ROUTE_GATEWAY –-MY EXTERNAL CABLE IP---
Apr 14 18:53:43 openvpn[32022]: OPTIONS IMPORT: –ip-win32 and/or --dhcp-option options modified
Apr 14 18:53:43 openvpn[32022]: OPTIONS IMPORT: route options modified
Apr 14 18:53:43 openvpn[32022]: OPTIONS IMPORT: –ifconfig/up options modified
Apr 14 18:53:43 openvpn[32022]: OPTIONS IMPORT: timers and/or timeouts modified
Apr 14 18:53:43 openvpn[32022]: PUSH: Received control message: 'PUSH_REPLY,redirect-gateway def1,dhcp-option DNS 209.222.18.222,dhcp-option DNS 209.222.18.218,ping 10,route 10.155.1.1,topology net30,ifconfig 10.155.1.6 10.155.1.5'

The 'can not find WAN ipv6' etc I see every day, btw, I have no clue why. None of the interfaces have ipv6 enabled.

Anyway, changing ipv4 back into ipv6 makes OpenVPN start again.

I am going to buy me a Draytek modem/router all in one  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

( :-)

[gazzaman]

Hi have you done
Go to Firewall and select NAT, then click the Outbound tab. Select any existing rules and delete them. Select the “Automatic” option at the top and click Save, then select “Manual” and click Save. You should see a new set of rules which you can activate by clicking Apply Changes.

did a set of rules appear in the firewall rule set.
I did try and add another client after I upgraded to 2.1.2 and they did not appear so I had to add them manually

[Mr. Jingles]

@gazzaman:

Hi have you done
Go to Firewall and select NAT, then click the Outbound tab. Select any existing rules and delete them. Select the “Automatic” option at the top and click Save, then select “Manual” and click Save. You should see a new set of rules which you can activate by clicking Apply Changes.

did a set of rules appear in the firewall rule set.
I did try and add another client after I upgraded to 2.1.2 and they did not appear so I had to add them manually

Thanks for your reply  ;D

Yes I did:

I tried the NAT-thing that KomodoSteve writed about afterwards, I rebooted the box, but nothing.

And to add to that: the NAT does have anything to do with the gateway not being up? I thought it was only for traffic after the gateway was up?

[gazzaman]

I will upload some screen shots of my setup. (I use PIA also) but it will not be today.

[Mr. Jingles]

@gazzaman:

I will upload some screen shots of my setup. (I use PIA also) but it will not be today.

That is very nice of you, thank you  ;D

I did find out something else: in System/Gateways, PIA was set to Ipv6 by default during install. I have no clue why, since PIA runs on WAN2, which is Ipv4 only. So yesterday I changed Ipv6 to Ipv4. I think perhaps I forgot to check if it saved that. Today I did. I hadn't saved it. So I changed it again. But: it doesn't save it at all.

I can change this to IPv4 all I want and press 'save' all I want; the second I go in again to see what it saved, it is back to IPv6 again.

Perhaps this is the reason there is no gateway up(?)


[Mr. Jingles]

My firewall/NAT btw (partly, as the board doesn't allow the full size pic due to the file size limitations. I picked the lower part which shows WAN2 and PIA).


[brick41]

Hello I also have private internet access and cannot get OpenVPN to work. It connects just fine but I don't have any internet. I am using this ISO downloaded and installed today:
pfSense-LiveCD-2.1.2-RELEASE-amd64-20140410-0541.iso

I think there is something wrong because the directions from (http://www.komodosteve.com/archives/232) are pretty straightforward. I will try an older ISO tomorrow. In the directions he says:

"Go to Firewall and select NAT, then click the Outbound tab. Select any existing rules and delete them. Select the “Automatic” option at the top and click Save, then select “Manual” and click Save. You should see a new set of rules which you can activate by clicking Apply Changes."

I did that but it doesn't show the OPT interface, even after reboot and with OpenVPN successfully connected with an IP. A screenshot is attached. Does anyone who has PIA working can you tell us the ISO of pfsense you are using? Did you have to make custom routing rules or NAT changes? Can you tell us how your pfsense is setup?

I also tried the "How to create an OpenVPN client to StrongVPN" sticky post but no go. I did try rebooting multiple times through each of these steps. The other TUVPN sticky looks a little strange so I haven't tried it.. it looks like he modifies the vpn interface to allow any traffic from anywhere?

[Mr. Jingles]

@brick41:

Hello I also have private internet access and cannot get OpenVPN to work. It connects just fine but I don't have any internet. I am using this ISO downloaded and installed today:
pfSense-LiveCD-2.1.2-RELEASE-amd64-20140410-0541.iso

I think there is something wrong because the directions from (http://www.komodosteve.com/archives/232) are pretty straightforward. I will try an older ISO tomorrow.

Good to see for my self confidence that I am not the only one  ;D

My attempts were at 2.1 (since you wrote you will try an older one than 2.1.2), and that I couldn't get to work.

For more than just this reason of PIA I decided to completely rebuild my box, yesterday evening I deleted everything and installed 2.1.2. I have yet to try PIA, but given your feedback I think I already know my answer  :'(

[phil.davis]

In versions prior to 2.1.2 the automatic outbound NAT was not making outbound NAT rules for OpenVPN clients that connected out to VPN providers. That was the intended behavior. But there was a [bug|feature] that when you switched to manual outbound NAT, the initial set of rules generated did include NAT rules for OpenVPN clients. That is why the step of switching to manual outbound NAT did the trick.
From 2.1.2, the underlying automatic outbound NAT rules and the set generated when you switch to manual outbound NAT are now the same.
You have to switch to manual outbound NAT, and then add outbound NAT rule/s for traffic leaving the OpenVPN client towards the VPN provider.

[Mr. Jingles]

@phil.davis:

In versions prior to 2.1.2 the automatic outbound NAT was not making outbound NAT rules for OpenVPN clients that connected out to VPN providers. That was the intended behavior. But there was a [bug|feature] that when you switched to manual outbound NAT, the initial set of rules generated did include NAT rules for OpenVPN clients. That is why the step of switching to manual outbound NAT did the trick.
From 2.1.2, the underlying automatic outbound NAT rules and the set generated when you switch to manual outbound NAT are now the same.
You have to switch to manual outbound NAT, and then add outbound NAT rule/s for traffic leaving the OpenVPN client towards the VPN provider.

Thank you very much for your reply, Phil  ;D

PS The OpenVPN log doesn't appear to show any errors.

I tried to add 'some' manual NAT rules, basically by copying the existing ones the switch to 'manual' generated and only changing the interface, but I am still not there yet  :-\

I do have something more now: it now shows me an IP on the gateway (but it is an internal IP, I would have expected an external one), but the gateway itself is offline (screenshot).

So probably I've done something wrong again.

Interesting to see is the firewall on the PIA-interface is blocking something (screenshot).

Would you happen to have a clue as to how to fix this?

Thank you again for all your great help  :-*