PfSense as VPN Tunnel concentrator for LAN Gaming

[merlinios]

Hello All,

I want to ask a question about vpn tunnel for lan gaming. I have a pfSense installation in a remote location in a Datacenter. With some friends very often we are all get together in a house for lan partys. Is this possible to connect all to the remote pfsense i have with open vpn so some players that are remote can connect also to this vpn server and all play together LAN games ?

Thanks

[johnpoz]

"With some friends very often we are all get together in a house for lan partys."

You are all in the same house - why would you want to use a remote system to connect them?  They should already be on the same lan - using remote system to connect the systems via a vpn would just introduce a huge amount of latency – which is something you would not want on a lan game!!

[Derelict]

As long as your games don't rely on broadcasts to locate the servers and are fully routeable it should work with a standard tun mode Remote Access OpenVPN.

https://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/OpenVPN_Remote_Access_Server

Won't the remote users be at a perceptible disadvantage?  I suppose you could put the game server on OPT1 and the local users on LAN and use a limiter to make the LAN users behave more like the remote users if that's an issue.

[merlinios]

@johnpoz:

"With some friends very often we are all get together in a house for lan partys."

You are all in the same house - why would you want to use a remote system to connect them?  They should already be on the same lan - using remote system to connect the systems via a vpn would just introduce a huge amount of latency – which is something you would not want on a lan game!!

You are right about that , the problem is how the remote users will connect to our game . A game that uses broadcast packets to host and join games. I have thought that if we connect to a central VPN Server both remote players will manage to connect to our game . I don't know if somehow the players that are in the same house can continue to use the wire connection so the latency will be small .

Thanks

[merlinios]

@Derelict:

As long as your games don't rely on broadcasts to locate the servers and are fully routeable it should work with a standard tun mode Remote Access OpenVPN.

https://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/OpenVPN_Remote_Access_Server

Won't the remote users be at a perceptible disadvantage?  I suppose you could put the game server on OPT1 and the local users on LAN and use a limiter to make the LAN users behave more like the remote users if that's an issue.

Unfortunately these games we play use broadcast packets for hosting and joining sessions.

[Derelict]

It's possible to create what amounts to a bridge using tap mode.  I've never done it.  Maybe I'll have time to do it today.  It is not a recommended configuration.

Are these all going to be configured as "Remote Access" users?

[merlinios]

@Derelict:

It's possible to create what amounts to a bridge using tap mode.  I've never done it.  Maybe I'll have time to do it today.  It is not a recommended configuration.

Are these all going to be configured as "Remote Access" users?

Hi! .

Yes they all are going to be remote access users .

Thanks a lot !

[Derelict]

I think most of what you need is here: https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=46984.0

I don't think you need the fix package any more.  That post is a couple years old.  I don't see it listed in available packages.

[merlinios]

@Derelict:

I think most of what you need is here: https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=46984.0

I don't think you need the fix package any more.  That post is a couple years old.  I don't see it listed in available packages.

Thanks !! I will try the guide!