VPN Server Problem (wireguard and openvpn)

[pavlfz]

Hello, I'm quite new here though I have been lurking a bit over the last years. I can't see any answers to my problem so thought I'd ask in case there's a relatively easy solution that someone can point me towards. If it's complicated I may struggle!

I've got an ax86u pro running the lastest merlin firmware (388.4). I've set up one openvpn server and also have wireguard servers set up for three clients. To start with it all works fine. However, periodically everything stops working: openvpn times out and connections via wireguard no longer work (it appears to connect but I have no internet). There doesn’t seem to be any particular time scale for this, it can be ok for days or a couple of weeks. It's never gone longer than a couple of weeks without this happening though. This isn't something that has started happening after a period of it working fine. It's been like this since I set it up.

Exporting and reapplying the configuration files for openvpn and all the machines using wireguard solves the problem.

I'm not particularly knowledgeable about all of this, but I assume this means something has changed the server configurations. The router never seems to have rebooted itself before this happens so it isn't that (though I also assume a reboot shouldn't change the configs either). Is there something else that could change the configuration files, or at least render them invalid? I'm guessing it might be related to the WAN IP (which isn't static), but I've no clue really.

If this happens when I'm on my LAN it's no great problem - other than the hassle it causes- but if it happens when I'm not on the local network it's a real pain.

I hope someone might be able to help!

Thanks in advance.

 

[ZebMcKayhan]

I'm guessing it might be related to the WAN IP (which isn't static), but I've no clue really.

Does these incidence coinside with your wan ip changing?
As you have dynamic wan ip, how are you making the connection, ddns?

 

[pavlfz]

Thanks for the response. I set up the openvpn and wireguard servers on the router without changing anything related to ddns. I then installed the wireguard and openvpn apps on android and windows machines and uploaded configs from the router. Everything works. Then after a while it doesn't. I made no changes to anything. The router is more or less at default settings.

I should probably make a note of the wan ip and see if the problem coincides with the ip changing.

As I have a dynamic wan IP do I need to change something else?

 

[ZebMcKayhan]

I should probably make a note of the wan ip and see if the problem coincides with the ip changing.

Maybe this is a good start.

 

[pavlfz]

Hehe, yes, I think so!

 

[bbunge]

In your DDNS settings enable "WAN IP and Hostname Verification" if it is available.

 

[Ripshod]

You stated you never made any changes to ddns. Do you have DDNS set up at all? Which provider?

 

[pavlfz]

Hello again, thanks for the replies. I've spent a bit more time this afternoon looking around and thought I should maybe try setting up the asus ddns client which I've now done using the asus ddns service. Everything is working fine, had to update config files again, but let's see. "WAN IP and Hostname Verification" isn't available as an option with the ddns client enabled, not sure if it was there before or not. Hopefully this will fix the issue.