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Is there a way to get the VPN to connect with the primary (not guest) network?
I find the built-in VPN to be very useful for personal network security when on shared/public networks -- and when traveling internationally (I appear to be home, which is what I want). However, I'd like to be able to access resources on my home (primary) network. However, by default (probably for understandable security reasons) the VPN seems to only attach to the guest network I set up for visitors. So I'm unable to access any of my internal home network services.
The question: Is there a way to configure the Orbi to put the VPN on the primary network?
You are the first person to report that Orbi's guest network is on a separate subnet from the main network. See post #1 and many other posts in the below thread.
I switched my Orbi to router mode just to test, and confirmed that for my Orbi the guest network is on the same subnet as the main network. In my case the Orbi is at 192.168.1.1 and the guest gets an IP of 192.168.1.5, which is on the same subnet. This is what I mean by "Orbi does not have a separate guest network." Yes, there is a separate SSID, but all clients are on the same subnet.
Furthermore, there is no setting in Orbi that I see that allows one to choose a different subnet for the guest network.
So, either you are using a different router than Orbi, you are using some new unreleased firmware, or there is something misconfigured with your network.
Where is the Orbi setup page where you can set a different IP for the guest network?
What firmware version are you running?
22 Replies
DarrenM, I’m not sure what you are telling me. You seem to have a three-router setup, but if the Orbi is serving VPN (and presumably you don’t have a guest network given your three-router configuration), then the Orbi’s network that is admitting the inbound VPN traffic is on the WAN side of your other two routers — which wouldn’t permit access to local services (which I surmise are behind the R7800). Please explain how this example would help address my issue.
Thank you
I was tagging DarrenM for his review and comment and help.
The information you see for my signature is the items I currently have and test with. The top line is actually deployed in my home. The second line is items I have at my disposal for use.
Hopefully Darren will review this by tomorrow...
Good Luck.
- Based on the fact that nobody was able to offer a recommendation, I have to conclude that is is not possible to specify the primary network as the VPN target — we are stuck with the guest network on the Orbi
I agree with you - there is not a way to do it.
(I have the same need you do)
Stev3D wrote:
I find the built-in VPN to be very useful for personal network security when on shared/public networks -- and when traveling internationally (I appear to be home, which is what I want). However, I'd like to be able to access resources on my home (primary) network. However, by default (probably for understandable security reasons) the VPN seems to only attach to the guest network I set up for visitors. So I'm unable to access any of my internal home network services.
The question: Is there a way to configure the Orbi to put the VPN on the primary network?
I haven't used Orbi's VPN yet, because I use Orbi in AP mode, but it's not supposed to work that way. Also, Orbi does not have a separate guest network, so what are you seeing that makes you believe the VPN is attaching to a guest network?
Did you read the manul sections regarding VPN?
https://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/RBK50/Orbi_UM_EN.pdf
There are settings for allowing access to the home network and the Internet over the VPN. Check those.
Also note the comment on page 119 and make sure this isn't the issue:
"For the VPN tunnel to work, the local LAN IP address of the remote router must use a different LAN IP scheme from that of the local LAN where your VPN client computer is connected. If both networks use the same LAN IP scheme, when the VPN tunnel is established, you cannot access your home router or your home network with the OpenVPN software."
A more technical way to respond is to say that the VPN subnet assigned / used for VPN clients is a different one than the local LAN, and there doesn't seem to be any way to assign/control/change any of those settings. And when on a VPN subnet, it doesn't seem to openly communicate (route) to the local LAN subnet so you can access resources directly. It appears to isolate them no matter what you set per instructions on page 119.
So my example - when on VPN I can't ping any resources on the regular Orbi LAN, and I can't access my DVR from 'inside' like I would hope to.
(Related but unrelated - this problem would sort of be the opposite of where there is a checkbox for allowing Guest wireless clients to see the regular lan and vice versa - there is a checkbox for that, but it doesn't work, and that is well documented on this forum)
Having VPN clients on a different subnet is normal, and shouldn’t be a problem.
However, note that Windows firewall by default will block any communications with a computer on a different subnet. So you won’t be able to ping or connect to any Windows machine on your home LAN unless you add firewall rules to allow it, or disable the firewall. You might need to do the same on the VPN client computer, depending on how it’s setup.
