ASUS App - Remote Connection to AC-5300 with Merlin

[Curado Kev]

Need some help....

Has anybody successfully used the ASUS app remotely to make changes in their router ? I have latest Merlin FW and in the app, it shows that remote is turned on etc. I would like to control the devices from a remote location because I travel alot and need to shut the kids down while away.

Thanks !

 

[martinr]

Are you running an OpenVPN server on your router? If not, would you consider doing so? I imagine that remotely accessing your router via OpenVPN (by entering eg 192.168.1.0 in your browser) is a far more secure way of accessing your router than using the app, pretty as it is, and whose possible security flaws may come to light at some future date (as possibly might some in OpenVPN!).

I don’t mean to denigrate the Asus app; it’s just the nature of software and maybe I’m wrong: perhaps it’s as secure as a vpn. I just think that limiting the number of router access routes to the bare minimum might be a good idea.

 

[SMS786]

Are you running an OpenVPN server on your router? If not, would you consider doing so? I imagine that remotely accessing your router via OpenVPN (by entering eg 192.168.1.0 in your browser) is a far more secure way of accessing your router than using the app, pretty as it is, and whose possible security flaws may come to light at some future date (as possibly might some in OpenVPN!).

I don’t mean to denigrate the Asus app; it’s just the nature of software and maybe I’m wrong: perhaps it’s as secure as a vpn. I just think that limiting the number of router access routes to the bare minimum might be a good idea.

This. Also using remote desktop software (Windows desktop, Hitachi, VNC, ect..) may also be an option..

 

[Curado Kev]

Thanks guys - that sounds like a good idea - I'm a techie but not a networking guru. I use a VPN for work that is setup by IT and I see the "Open VPN" for the router. A couple questions: 1) Where's the best setup instructions ? 2) Do you use a seperate program to connect ? 3) My work laptop uses "Palo Alto Global Networks" for VPN, can I load a profile into that to use for personal router ? My guess is no...

Thanks for help, Kevin

 

[martinr]

Thanks guys - that sounds like a good idea - I'm a techie but not a networking guru. I use a VPN for work that is setup by IT and I see the "Open VPN" for the router. A couple questions: 1) Where's the best setup instructions ? 2) Do you use a seperate program to connect ? 3) My work laptop uses "Palo Alto Global Networks" for VPN, can I load a profile into that to use for personal router ? My guess is no...

Thanks for help, Kevin

Setting up an OpenVPN server on your router, so that you can remotely access your router and LAN through a secure tunnel (and then bounce out to browse the Internet should you wish - that leg is no longer in the vpn tunnel, of course) is far easier than you could possibly imagine. It has been made practically foolproof for us.

First, you probably need a dynamic DNS address so that, should your ISP be changing your public IP address every few days, it won’t matter. I recommend the Asus DDNS which you’ll find in the GUI. So you might for example choose Kevin678.asuscomm.com. If that address is free, it’ll be assigned to your router and you’re done. It’s that simple. Make a note of it, of course: you’ll need to enter it into the Open VPN settings.

Next, set up your OpenVPN server. I suggest you say Yes to the block of 4 options under Advanced Server beginning with Push LAN to clients. You need to familiarise yourself with all the settings and come back with any questions. Once you’ve set all the settings to your liking, you export the .ovpn config file (General tab in PpenVPN server) and transfer it to the clients which you’ll use to connect remotely. You’ll install the OpenVPN Connect program or app (or Tunnelblick on Mac) onto the clients you’ll use to connect remotely, and then import that .ovpn config file into them. Assuming you have opted for public key infrastructure (PKI) for your security (rather than only username and passwords) you won’t need to give a second thought to keys and certificates: it’s all done for you as if by magic. I use username and passwords for clients as well as PKI, so my settings in Advanced are:

username/password authentication set to Yes

username/password auth only set to No.

At the bottom of the General page you’ll list the username and passwords for each client. I use different ones for each client for obvious reasons.

That’s all there is to it. You really don’t need any IT skills or networking knowledge to get it going. And you can thank Merlin for making it such a doddle.

 

[martinr]

...., A couple questions: 1) Where's the best setup instructions ? 2) Do you use a seperate program to connect ? 3) My work laptop uses "Palo Alto Global Networks" for VPN, can I load a profile into that to use for personal router ? My guess is no...

Thanks for help, Kevin

I realise I didn’t really answer your questions.

1. Don’t look for setup instructions: they may well be out of date and tell you how to generate keys and certificates, at which point you ‘ll lose the will to live. It’s all now so much easier than it was.

2. Yes, each client needs an OpenVPN program in order to connect to the server on your router. On iPad/iPhone you need the OpenVPN Connect app. On Mac it ‘s Tunnelblick, but beware: the default setting in Tunnelblick at present is I think OpenVPN 2.3.6 or something like that. You need to change it to 2.4 or you won’t get it to work.

For Windows you need the OpenVPN Desktop Client for Windows, which I think I got from the 2.4.4 section here: https://openvpn.net/index.php/open-source/downloads.html

Don’t know about Android; I don’t use it.

3. No. You export the config file from the router after finalising your settings. And than you import that config file into the relevant OpenVPN program/app on your client device.

 

[Martineau]

2) Do you use a seperate program to connect ?

FYI to add to the list of client platforms as described by @martinr

Android VPN client

 

[Curado Kev]

Okay - thanks everyone - I have a Iphone X which has the ASUS app, so I'm going to start with OpenVPN connect app and once connected - see if ASUS app will work. Plus do some reading/research. Thanks !

 

[SMS786]

Okay - thanks everyone - I have a Iphone X which has the ASUS app, so I'm going to start with OpenVPN connect app and once connected - see if ASUS app will work. Plus do some reading/research. Thanks !

Would be interested in seeing if the ASUS app properly connects to your LAN/router admin through the OpenVPN app..keep us posted.

 

[martinr]

Okay - thanks everyone - I have a Iphone X which has the ASUS app, so I'm going to start with OpenVPN connect app and once connected - see if ASUS app will work. Plus do some reading/research. Thanks !

Do not be surprised if it doesn’t work - the app, that is; I fully expect OpenVPN to work - I initially tried the app before removing it, just for the hell of it. Things might have changed, but I think it looked fir an Asus router in the remote network I vpn’d from, and didn’t see the Asus router in my home network. But, having vpn’d in, I had browser access to the router, and didn’t want to use the app anyway, so I wasn’t disappointed.