Idiot needs help with setting up VPN

[SmallNetGuy]

Hi,

I hope someone could help this idiot with setting up VPN connection. I believe I did everything as suggested in another forum, but still something is off. I am sure it's my error, but I can't figure out where I'm doing wrong.

I have enabled VPN Server - PPTP and it's running. I've set my user name and the password. Since I don't have static IP, I've enabled ASUS DDNS client and it's saying it's registered successfully.

However, when I'm trying to connect from my office at work (nearby city), to my VPN server at home, everything worked perfectly fine. I was able to connect to my VPN, I used my Android phone. Today, I was at Michaels' store where they have free wi-fi and I wanted to try if that would work there too. I wasn't able to connect, it said Connection Unsuccessful.

I also have OpenVPN server1 running, exported configuration file, sent it to my phone, and imported it into the OpenVPN Connect. I've also created a shortcut on my main screen (Android), but when I try to connect, it says "OpenVPN: Waiting for server", and eventually fails at the end. In the log file there are lines stating "Server poll timeout, trying next remote entry...", and after few retries "Connection Timeout, event: Disconnected"

I am so sorry if this sounds annoying (it must be for all you wonderful people who are smart and understand all this), but for me this is rocket science.

Thank you all for your inputs in advance!
Best regards

 

[Fitz Mutch]

I was at Michaels' store where they have free wi-fi and I wanted to try if that would work there too. I wasn't able to connect, it said Connection Unsuccessful.

On my Android phone, I installed ics-openvpn (schwabe) from the Google App Store because it is the latest OpenVPN 2.4 client with support for tls-crypt.

I also configured my router's OpenVPN server to use TCP port 443 because it provide the best connection at free public Wi-Fi hotspots.

EDIT: Also remember at free Wi-Fi hotspots there is usually always a ToS page (Terms-of-Service) where you must click "I AGREE" before it allows you to access the Internet.

 

[Zirescu]

Hi,

I hope someone could help this idiot with setting up VPN connection. I believe I did everything as suggested in another forum, but still something is off. I am sure it's my error, but I can't figure out where I'm doing wrong.

I have enabled VPN Server - PPTP and it's running. I've set my user name and the password. Since I don't have static IP, I've enabled ASUS DDNS client and it's saying it's registered successfully.

However, when I'm trying to connect from my office at work (nearby city), to my VPN server at home, everything worked perfectly fine. I was able to connect to my VPN, I used my Android phone. Today, I was at Michaels' store where they have free wi-fi and I wanted to try if that would work there too. I wasn't able to connect, it said Connection Unsuccessful.

I also have OpenVPN server1 running, exported configuration file, sent it to my phone, and imported it into the OpenVPN Connect. I've also created a shortcut on my main screen (Android), but when I try to connect, it says "OpenVPN: Waiting for server", and eventually fails at the end. In the log file there are lines stating "Server poll timeout, trying next remote entry...", and after few retries "Connection Timeout, event: Disconnected"

I am so sorry if this sounds annoying (it must be for all you wonderful people who are smart and understand all this), but for me this is rocket science.

Thank you all for your inputs in advance!
Best regards

Could be that Michael's was blocking that type of traffic from passing over their network.
When you're connecting are you connecting via the IP address or your DDNS entry? The log files will tell you which.

 

[SmallNetGuy]

Could be that Michael's was blocking that type of traffic from passing over their network.
When you're connecting are you connecting via the IP address or your DDNS entry? The log files will tell you which.

Hi,

Thanks for your reply, greatly appreciated. I was connecting using DDNS since my IP is dynamic so I never know when it's going to change.

@Fitz Mutch - Thank you too. To comment on this part:

"...EDIT: Also remember at free Wi-Fi hotspots there is usually always a TOS page (Terms-of-Service) where you must click "I AGREE" before it allows you to access the Internet..."

Yes, I am regular there, and just like in McDonalds or Tim Hortons, we always have to accept those terms of use. I have no trouble browsing internet otherwise, it's just when I try connecting to my VPN, it won't connect.

 

[wocram]

When the OpenVPN is connecting/working from any place on WAN (outside your LAN) your configuration is probably ok.

Router's have the ability to block the ports that are used by VPN, which might be the case at Michael's store. By using port 443 (as suggested by Fitz Mutch) you could circumvent this block as port 443 is the standard port that is used for SSL (HTTPS), which most certainly is not blocked.

 

[SmallNetGuy]

When the OpenVPN is connecting/working from any place on WAN (outside your LAN) your configuration is probably ok.

Router's have the ability to block the ports that are used by VPN, which might be the case at Michael's store. By using port 443 (as suggested by Fitz Mutch) you could circumvent this block as port 443 is the standard port that is used for SSL (HTTPS), which most certainly is not blocked.

Thank you so much, I am incredibly grateful for all your advices and for trying to help me here.

Yes, I just switched to TCP and set it to 443. Will see if that works tomorrow.

This is for OpenVPN, but when I was at work the other day and managed to connect I wasn't using OpenVPN, didn't even have it set up in my router at that point. I used PPTP connection and it worked instantly. However, same connection to my VPN, did not work from Michaels'

I will try OpenVPN with TCP 443 tomorrow.

Thank a lot for your kindness guys.