VPN IPAD/IPHONE QUESTIONS

Tyyees

Young grasshopper
Joined
Oct 31, 2018
Messages
81
Reaction score
12
Location
Northeast
I recently installed a VPN on my Asus router, ac1900p. Thanks to a posting by Randy I was able to, I think, get the VPN installed on my iPhone and pad. Used OpenVPN on both devices.

Questions: when the VPN iPad or phone is on it lights in green as does my Asus router. I assume its showing it’s connected to my router. The iPhone and pad now have a VPN toggle showing in the setting of the two devices, where wi-fi, blue tooth, etc settings are. IS IT NECESSARY FOR THIS TOGGLE TO BE TURNED ON?

Can I just keep the VPN turned on the two devices?

How do I know the VPN is working? I use the BI mobile apps to view my cameras.

Do I need additional software to make this all work?

Thanks any comments would be appreciate. And many thanks to Randy for making the install so easy.
 

Tyyees

Young grasshopper
Joined
Oct 31, 2018
Messages
81
Reaction score
12
Location
Northeast
The lack of response to my questions are thunderous and for good reason though. I answered all my questions with more research. Should have done this prior to asking lazy questions.

The OpenVPN is a paid service but the OpenVPN client Server is free. This was available through the Asus router.

Thanks for all the members help getting me this far. Never thought I could accomplished this much with my limited tech experience. Thanks
 

Mike A.

Known around here
Joined
May 6, 2017
Messages
3,825
Reaction score
6,377
I think you may still be confusing things somewhat...

The toggle for VPN under settings just reflects whatever VPN(s) you have set up on your device (you can have multiple different VPN destinations), which you're currently using if any, and whether it's turned on/off. The OpenVPN client app that you installed is what provides the ability to make and control those various connections.

You'll know that it's working by "[VPN]" displaying in the top header of the screen (next to signal strength bars, network, etc.) and if you check under the VPN app and/or under that same VPN setting it will show connected. And, obviously, you'll be able to connect to your system.

All of the above is free. All of the above secures the connection/traffic from your phone or other client device coming INTO your own network. The OpenVPN server built into the Asus router provides the functionality at the other end to make that connection at the front door to your own network.

What's paid is their "Private Tunnel" and other similar outside VPN services which encrypt traffic going OUT of your network destined to wherever on the Internet. It connects to some other outside third-party server via VPN, encrypts the traffic between your device/network and that server, and that server then forwards your traffic to/from whatever destination and back to you over the VPN.

i.e., If you don't what anyone to be able to access and/or see the traffic between your client and your own network, then you'd use the former. That's the mode applicable to accessing cams on your network. If you don't want anyone to see your traffic going out over the Internet, then you'd use the latter. They're both using VPN, just a matter of what VPN server you're connecting to and for what purpose. In the latter case, they're providing a paid service/server to secure/hide outgoing traffic.
 

Tyyees

Young grasshopper
Joined
Oct 31, 2018
Messages
81
Reaction score
12
Location
Northeast
Thanks Mike A. I was doing thing backwards trying to turn on the VPN and never got VPN showing where you stated. I was turning on the VPN in settings and this is not the way to do it. You must first toggle on in the OpenVNP app then the VPN shows in the upper right corner. You can shut everything down however by toggling the VPN in the settings to off but not on.

I checked my IP address using IP check tool and it shows my WAN IP. The WAN IP set in my router. I’m doing this check locally. Should that be showing? Again thanks for heads up info.

One more question Mike. When I engage the VPN, on my IPhone, away from home, do I just use the BI app I have installed on my iPhone to connect to my cameras?
 

Tyyees

Young grasshopper
Joined
Oct 31, 2018
Messages
81
Reaction score
12
Location
Northeast
Japjoe 7 maybe next time you could drop me some bread crumbs pointing me in the right direction. :smash:
 

Mike A.

Known around here
Joined
May 6, 2017
Messages
3,825
Reaction score
6,377
Thanks Mike A. I was doing thing backwards trying to turn on the VPN and never got VPN showing where you stated. I was turning on the VPN in settings and this is not the way to do it. You must first toggle on in the OpenVNP app then the VPN shows in the upper right corner. You can shut everything down however by toggling the VPN in the settings to off but not on.

I checked my IP address using IP check tool and it shows my WAN IP. The WAN IP set in my router. I’m doing this check locally. Should that be showing? Again thanks for heads up info.

One more question Mike. When I engage the VPN, on my IPhone, away from home, do I just use the BI app I have installed on my iPhone to connect to my cameras?
Yes, it's kind of confusing the way that they have it in IOS. In settings think of it as selecting the VPN app/connection that you're using. Just leave that set on and control it though the OpenVPN app.

Yes, an outside IP check will show your WAN IP since that's the origin from its perspective. Your internal IPs are assigned for use within your network only.

Yes, connect to the VPN and then use the BI app as you would inside of your network using the LAN address/port for your BI server. Effectively the VPN creates a secure link from outside of your network as if you were inside. You'll need to do some other setup as far as dynamic DNS, etc. in OpenVPN to make it easier to find your IP address when outside of your network.
 

Tyyees

Young grasshopper
Joined
Oct 31, 2018
Messages
81
Reaction score
12
Location
Northeast
Mike A. I think I have everything setup correctly. All is working as you explained. I have setup the DDNS according the way Randy setup is Asus router. He has a very nice write up about setting up an Asus router. While not the same as mine and a bit different software they are close enough to easily set up a VPN. Now time to check it out from afar.

Mike A. Do you have an opinion about a paid VPN? I realize it isn’t necessary for the cameras but it seems to be a great overall way of protecting ones information for a minimal cost. Everyone in my household conducts business, plays games, etc., over the net including banking. Expense aside is it worth the effort?
 

Mike A.

Known around here
Joined
May 6, 2017
Messages
3,825
Reaction score
6,377
Mike A. I think I have everything setup correctly. All is working as you explained. I have setup the DDNS according the way Randy setup is Asus router. He has a very nice write up about setting up an Asus router. While not the same as mine and a bit different software they are close enough to easily set up a VPN. Now time to check it out from afar.

Mike A. Do you have an opinion about a paid VPN? I realize it isn’t necessary for the cameras but it seems to be a great overall way of protecting ones information for a minimal cost. Everyone in my household conducts business, plays games, etc., over the net including banking. Expense aside is it worth the effort?
Guess it depends on who and where you are and what you're doing. Not worth bothering with for most just doing general things IMO. Doesn't really better secure your banking, etc. That's just as secure via end-to-end HTTPS and much more likely to be compromised in other ways vs a network traffic-level. It doesn't help you against identification, tracking, malware, etc., on the remote end. It does obscure where you're going and what you're doing from your ISP or other network provider(s). But then it exposes it to whatever end point you're using so depends on trusting it which in most cases will be some unknown/lesser known party. If you're doing something kind of sketchy, you're a dissident in some oppressive country, trying to get around a firewall or other block, etc., then possibly so. Even then I pretty much assume that there are back doors into most everything now so encrypting the traffic itself won't necessarily hide you.
 

catcamstar

Known around here
Joined
Jan 28, 2018
Messages
1,659
Reaction score
1,193
Mike A. Do you have an opinion about a paid VPN? I realize it isn’t necessary for the cameras but it seems to be a great overall way of protecting ones information for a minimal cost. Everyone in my household conducts business, plays games, etc., over the net including banking. Expense aside is it worth the effort?
There might be just a thingy that many people (ab)use: with (paid) VPN, you can "fake" your location as you can be popping up at the other side of the world with your "internet" connectivity. Services like Netflix can be circumvened that way to "access" region locked content. But be warned, even these services are getting smarter: when you "forget" to turn your VPN on (by any reason like your router forgot it, connection dropped 1 second), Netflix detects that your account has spawned instantly in another content, you'll get banned.

But I don't think these kind of "bypasses" should be stimulated, as they do more harm than good in the long run. Just like all other "bad" things in life :slap:

Just my 2c,
CC
 

Tyyees

Young grasshopper
Joined
Oct 31, 2018
Messages
81
Reaction score
12
Location
Northeast
Catcamstar I’m not really interested in the Netflix aspect of things and don’t want to get banned. I was under the impression it would provide some sort of personal protection for my identity and information. It would be nice to stop all those unwanted pop up advertisements. My information has been compromised so many time by various institutions I though this might help a bit. Apparently not.
 

catcamstar

Known around here
Joined
Jan 28, 2018
Messages
1,659
Reaction score
1,193
Catcamstar I’m not really interested in the Netflix aspect of things and don’t want to get banned. I was under the impression it would provide some sort of personal protection for my identity and information. It would be nice to stop all those unwanted pop up advertisements. My information has been compromised so many time by various institutions I though this might help a bit. Apparently not.
No, paid vpn would not stop you from Ads, mostly these "intrusions" are even browser based (eg cookie tracking) and do not take into account where you "enter" the internet.
 
Top