How do I introduce a VPN server in this setup?

[czrabode]

Hi. I hope you can help me with my setup. This is an illustration:

Network details:
- ATT fiber 1 gig up/down
- 4 Google WiFi connected by ethernet
- 1st Google WiFi has routing duties
- Google WiFi has no VPN server capabilities
- a dedicated PC with Blue Iris software with 2 LAN cards: a secure network connected to the rest of my network and an insecure network connected to POE cameras
- this PC is always on

The good folks at IPCamTalk.com suggests running a VPN server because my iPhone will only be able to connect to my Blue Iris PC and view images IF IT THINKS IT IS STILL IN MY HOME NETWORK.

Any suggestions on where to put a VPN server in this setup?

I am tempted to replace my Google WiFi with an Asus router but I hesitate because I actually like the Google WiFi.




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[ColinTaylor]

I am not familiar with your specific devices (ATT and Google) but logically a VPN server would be on an always-on device on the 192.168.0.x subnet.

Your diagram shows the ATT router being in bridge mode but there must be some device on the network that is acting as a router, gateway, DHCP and DNS server (Google Mesh 1?). The VPN server might be able to sit on that router. If that's not possible then that router would have to be configured for port forwarding to another device on the LAN (which is running a VPN server).

If the PC at 192.168.0.10 is always on you could install the VPN server on that and port forward to it.

 

[czrabode]

I am not familiar with your specific devices (ATT and Google) but logically a VPN server would be on an always-on device on the 192.168.0.x subnet.

Your diagram shows the ATT router being in bridge mode but there must be some device on the network that is acting as a router, gateway, DHCP and DNS server (Google Mesh 1?). The VPN server might be able to sit on that router. If that's not possible then that router would have to be configured for port forwarding to another device on the LAN (which is running a VPN server).

If the PC at 192.168.0.10 is always on you could install the VPN server on that and port forward to it.

@ColinTaylor: Thanks! Your assumptions are correct. The 1st Google Wifi device is doing the routing duties. Unfortunately, Google WiFi has no VPN capability.

The PC connected to the cameras is always on.

I could install a VPN sever there as you suggest. Any software recommendations? I hear about OpenVPN but I don’t know how easy it is to set up. If cost is not an issue, what’s the easiest way to do this for a non technical person.


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[ColinTaylor]

OpenVPN would be the software of choice IMHO. But I've no experience of setting it up on a Windows PC. I should imagine it's fairly straight forward.

 

[Lee Zee]

Hi, this is the same setup I have, except there is no bridge. I have an Arris cable modem receiving broadband -- Google Wifi pucks --4 IP cameras connected via ethernet cables to a PoE switch. Then I have a Windows 7 PC with Blue Iris installed connected to the switch. I too would like to set up OpenVPN: My PC at 192.168.1.200 is always running, and I'd like to install the VPN server on that and port forward to it to the Google Wifi router. But, I'm also not very technical, and I'm having trouble with the configuration scripts that OpenVPN requires to work. czrabode, by any chance were you able to get OpenVPN set up on your PC, and how did you create the configuration scripts that OpenVPN needs to work?

Thank you in advance.
Lee

 

[czrabode]

Hi, this is the same setup I have, except there is no bridge. I have an Arris cable modem receiving broadband -- Google Wifi pucks --4 IP cameras connected via ethernet cables to a PoE switch. Then I have a Windows 7 PC with Blue Iris installed connected to the switch. I too would like to set up OpenVPN: My PC at 192.168.1.200 is always running, and I'd like to install the VPN server on that and port forward to it to the Google Wifi router. But, I'm also not very technical, and I'm having trouble with the configuration scripts that OpenVPN requires to work. czrabode, by any chance were you able to get OpenVPN set up on your PC, and how did you create the configuration scripts that OpenVPN needs to work?

Thank you in advance.
Lee

To be honest with you, I gave up on the Google WiFi. I'm sure I would have been able to set up OpenVPN on the Blue Iris server if I tried hard enough. But I didn't have the patience for it.

I ended up replacing my Google WiFi with two Asus RT-AC86U routers in AiMesh configuration. I must say, it's a pretty sweet setup. I am getting 450 mbps on my iPhone X. I am also able to block specific websites are services that the IPCamTalk Wiki recommends.

 

[Lee Zee]

Ok, thank you for your thoughts. I'm going to try Stunnel as it explains in Blue Iris app for remote monitoring. So, now I'm on what hopefully does not end up being another wild goose chase of a way to view the video remotely on Google Wifi. Don't know how to do it yet, but hopefully it is straightforward enough.

So, do you have encryption/protection with a VPN using your new router?