Unable to access readynas 104 over vpn

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Dotchin wrote:
Also just to clarify if I join the local network I can access the drive via afp/smb fine and access the nas admin page but neither of these work external when I vpn in. The reason why I struggle to isolate is because other computers can be connected to on the vpn.

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I don't have a solution,but apparently this a fairly common issue with softetther vpn servers.  See for instance here: http://www.vpnusers.com/viewtopic.php?p=11204&sid=b4eeb57c0169c21a148406da79b1e5f3

Have you tried the softether forum?

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Dotchin wrote:
As a new user of vpns I don't understand as much as most so would probably struggle to configure openvpn if it gets complicated. 

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It can get very complicated.  Some Netgear routers (including my R8500) have built-in openvpn support, including creating a config file for you to download to your device.  Like you, my ISP router doesn't support openvpn, but I have the R8500 between the ISP router and my main network (I've done that for some years for a variety of reasons).

I'm still transitioning to that approach, but I like the idea of reducing the number of forwarded ports in my router setup.

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>>> This was actually the first post on the subject - I consolidated after I saw the duplication - StephenB

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Hi Guys,

I've browsed the boards before asking this and have asked the question on softether webstite, and although a lot of people had similar issues to myself, I couldn't quite find a response for the same issue I have. Although I am very tech savvy I am very new to VPN so I apologise for any ignorance in this field.

I have a readynas 104 set up in a property next door. It is connected to a virgin superhub via ethernet and it is accessible on the internal network just by using SMB or AFP.

What I am trying to do is access this same NAS drive from the property next door without the need to run a huge cable between the houses.

The readynas came with the softether bundle addon included, so I have installed this addon and the server software installed correctly.

I then downloaded the server manager onto the PC and began setting it up. The setup I went for was an L2TP/IPSec setup as outlined in https://www.softether.org/4-docs/2-howt ... VPN_Server and I followed this article closely.

Now in order to make any modifications to this server via the server manager, I have to enter the external IP address 82.XX.XX.XX. The VPN appears to be running, I have added a user account to connect to, and there appears to be no errors from the server manager.

Where I really get the issue, is when trying to connect to the readynas through VPN externally.  

I am looking to connect my mac to the VPN so used the instructions as outlined in https://www.softether.org/4-docs/2-howt ... ient_Setup

The computer seems to think about it, then rejects the connection on the grounds that the VPN server (readynas) was not responding. The software on the readynas VPN is working correctly, because if I enable a local bridge I am able to connect to the VPN via the internal IP address 192.168.0.3 (which the readynas is located on).

All my attempts to connect externally to the readynas seem to have been problematic. I have disabled the router firewall and opened ports 1701, 500 and 4500 as I have read somewhere that they need to be open.

Am I missing something obvious here? This is advertised as an easy setup, and although I can't say the instructions were difficult, I am having not much success.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

PS. I can use the server manager to connect to the external IP address, however this only works when I remain on that network. As soon as I go to the other property, the settings entered in server manager, no longer connect.

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Dotchin wrote:
So purchasing an r8500 could be the solution I'm looking for? Run that from the isp router. Basically what I'm looking to achieve is to vpn to my nas so I can access it externally. Is the vpn on the r8500 a hard setup?

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The R8500 is a very high-end router (and more expensive than a RN104) - there are less expensive (but still fairly pricey) Nighthawk models that also have the feature.   There's a setup guide here: http://kb.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/23854/~/how-do-i-use-the-vpn-service-on-my-nighthawk-router-with-my-windows-client%3F. 

It only supports TAP, and most mobile openVPN clients only support TUN.  So there is a challenge with android or ios devices.  But so far its worked well with my laptop.  

DD-WRT firmware has openVPN built in too, which allows cheaper routers (for instance the R6200v2) to be used.

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Dotchin wrote:
No it's quite poor it's detectable but weak

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I was thinking that if you had a line-of-sight between the buildings, you could potentially use wifi extenders (using the second NIC in the RN104).  But if you don't have enough signal, won't work.

Do you need SMB or AFP access from your end?  Or would HTTPS and FTPS be enough?

Thanks for the suggestion, as always they are welcome, and I always try.

I created the two virtual hubs as you suggested and set one up with secure nat and the other as a local bridge, I did not have much luck with this as the computer was clearly only joining one of the hubs at a time depending on which one I specified.

The odd thing is, the entire VPN is hosted by the very NAS i want to connect to, so I can clearly connect to it, but not connect to the mountable drives.  When I connect to the VPN, I am able to connect to both routers and their homepages, and any computers on the network, just not the NAS.  It's wierd.