VPN and DDWRT setup

[Stev Wolf]

I have done pretty well setting up my flashed DDWRT router. It is the second router behind a dlink.
I can ping upstream cameras on different network when I login to the wifi network of the ddwrt router.
Eventually I will try to make it so I can access it from the world.

I just want to get it to work first.

I have several questions that I cant find exactly on the web explained so i understand them. I have tried to set it up but cant get the VPN to work.
Everything else seems to work.

1. Do I set the DDWRT router with static IP. I assume Yes since how else will it find it if it keeps changing with automatic. I have given it a free IP on my network. eg 192.168.1.111.

2. I'm confused what I'm suppose to put for Server IP, do i put the Wan address, eg 192.168.1.111. Or what? I've tried several things but they don't work for me that is, when I try to vpn in from my upstream network it does not connect, eg from 192.168.1.1 machine. PS the internal network of the ddwrt is 192.168.3.1.

3. What do I put for Remote subnet and remote subnet mask.

As mentioned Im trying to vpn from my dlink router network 192.168.1.1 to the DDWRT router 192.168.1.111. I think this should work but when I use win10 for example it does not connect. But says A connection the the remote computer could not be established, so the port used for this connection was closed.
Regards

 

[Stev Wolf]

Ok I seem to have figured out what my problem was.
It is that when you use windows 10 for example to vpn make sure that you in the set up of the vpn select pptp as the VPN type. It was set to automatic, but when I specifically told it what to use pptp it worked.

So Now I have a second question. It seems to connect and I can ping a computer on the network. BUT then it disconnects after maybe 15 seconds.
I will try to do research on this but if anyone has any quick answers that would be helpfull.
regards.

 

[Stev Wolf]

Not sure how I solved it but I did. I flashed it again, the router and set up again.
One important thing that I seem to have found out. For the pptp chap password you cannot use special characters.
Use only AlphaNumaric Upper and Lower. I think my experiments show that things like #$! dont work for passwords. I didn't notice this written anywere that I read.

 

[alastairstevenson]

the set up of the vpn select pptp as the VPN type

Just in case you are unaware ...

PPTP is an old, obsolete VPN solution that has multiple security vulnerabilities.
Maybe do a Google search on that topic and take a look at alternates such as OpenVPN, which gets a lot of airing on this forum.

 

[Stev Wolf]

Thanks I have seen that. I'm not really happy about it, and am unclear how much of a threat it is. However I have tried and tried and tried to re flash my router with ddwrt VPN version from their DB that support openvpn but with no success. They also say OpenVPN is harder to set up, and Ive had enough trouble as it is.
I flash it and the first ddwrt software that i installed does not go away. While the ddwrt people are appreciated for the work they have done, the site is so confusing as It has developed over time. I'm going nuts trying to understand it all. I've 30/30/30'ered till I'm counting in my sleep. The only place I can find the VPN software is in their DB but they say don't trust the DB, but I don't know where to get the right software?

I'm unclear if I should leave a message on their site for the fear that I will get the standard "You didnt read the Peacock thread" or some other thing.

But then on the PPTP front Right now I can VPN using PPTP inhouse but not from the outside world, so now Im struggling with that despite setting up Portforward to my internal router IP with pptp.
Dazed and confused.

Regards

 

[OICU2]

You can snag a fairly inexpensive Linksys LRT214 VPN router (or just about any other router that has VPN built in) on ebay that comes with several different VPN options built in. One of them being OpenVPN and it is not hard to setup.

 

[Stev Wolf]

Thanks for that I may look at that.
The problem is that what got me into this whole mess was buying a camera on Amazon. I dont want to buy anything on amazon, but might be forced to.
I do however really like the ddwrt software. I have used it before several times but never for VPN.
I may have to leave a message on the ddwrt site forum and suffer the indignities of, did you read this or that, police and gatekeepers.
Its hard to come up to speed when you do this maybe every 5 years or so.
Regards

 

[looney2ns]

Why the two routers?

 

[Stev Wolf]

Well back in the day, routers from ISP's didnt come with wifi.and business one's still don't as you might put a firewall like a watchguard or something behind it.
So I just never moved off that. May be I should ... that and my token ring
It also made it easy for my location. That is, the network comes in one place then goes to another where it gets distributed.
Im sure there are many better ways of doing it, i can think of several, including getting a big switch.
But Im slow to change.
regards

 

[alastairstevenson]

that and my token ring

Surely you jest!
Of course you do. 4Mbps won't get you far these days.

 

[biggen]

Token ring. I haven't heard that term in a long time. I remember we had that back in my junior college days in one of my Cobal classes. God, Cobal...

 

[Stev Wolf]

Well I cold upgrade I suppose I do have a box of BNC connectors!!

 

[Mike A.]

What brand router? I've not used it for forever now but I know that DD-WRT does support OpenVPN in some builds.

The following are old but give you a starting point. Search "DD-WRT OpenVPN" and you'll find lots of info.

OpenVPN in DD-WRT
Forum thread: OpenVPN server setup guide

This assumes DD-WRT with OpenVPN is installed on the router. OpenVPN is only available on units with at least 8mb flash (except the Broadcom VPN build). Instructions may vary based on version, as the following is for builds since 2011.

The DD-WRT GUI Server and Client modes' defaults should suffice for most users.

1. Using the Web Interface, go to the "Services" tab and then the "VPN" tab (for older versions of dd-wrt go to the "Administration" tab and then the "Services" sub-tab).
2. Enable OpenVPN Daemon or OpenVPN Client. If further options do not appear, click Apply Settings.
3. Fill in needed parameters (see below). Everything else not mentioned here is taken care of automatically (e.g. firewall)
4. Click Apply Settings.

Set up OpenVPN client where only specific traffic is routed via the VPN tunnel: Selective Routing Using DD-WRT & OpenVPN

And:

How To Install and Configure OpenVPN On Your DD-WRT Router

We've already covered installing Tomato on your router and how to connect to your home network with OpenVPN and Tomato.

www.howtogeek.com

 

[fenderman]

Thanks I have seen that. I'm not really happy about it, and am unclear how much of a threat it is.

Regards

Its a big problem and you are better off port forwarding than exposing your entire network with an obsolete vpn.

 

[Stev Wolf]

What brand router? I've not used it for forever now but I know that DD-WRT does support OpenVPN in some builds.

The following are old but give you a starting point. Search "DD-WRT OpenVPN" and you'll find lots of info.



And:

How To Install and Configure OpenVPN On Your DD-WRT Router

We've already covered installing Tomato on your router and how to connect to your home network with OpenVPN and Tomato.

www.howtogeek.com

It's a Lynksys WRT300n v1. The WEB says it's got 32MB of Ram. And 4 MB Flash. It is a Broadcom BCM4704 chipset.
Now based on the article you provided normally I cant get openvpn for this router because it has only 4MB of ram BUT it also says unless it has broadcom then you CAN. I have not seen this before. I had given up as I kept seeing that I needed 8 MB of ram for OpenVPN.
Now I just have to figure out how move from standard ddwrt to vpn version or some other open firmware .
Thanks

 

[Stev Wolf]

Its a big problem and you are better off port forwarding than exposing your entire network with an obsolete vpn.

Uhhh. From fire to frying pan. Now you know why I was angtious to just fix the camera. A system that was working reasonably we. Well If it's not one thing it's another.
Regards