Remote-access Guide

pfsense openvpn remote access routing

by Americo O'Connell Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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You need two things. One, a push route on the OpenVPN server to send the clients a route. push "route 192.168.0.0 255.255.255.0" Then a second phase 2 with the local being 10.1.0.0/24 and remote 192.168.0.0/24, and vice versa on the remote end. Share

Part of a video titled Configuring OpenVPN Remote Access in pfSense Software
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First thing we have to do is create our certificate authority. So we just fill in the prompts hereMoreFirst thing we have to do is create our certificate authority. So we just fill in the prompts here our descriptive name of home office key length and lifetime. You can leave as default.

Full Answer

Can I use pfSense as a remote OpenVPN client?

I have pfsense 1.2.3 setup as an OpenVPN client that connects to a remote OpenVPN server (to which other OpenVPN clients are also connected). I can't figure out how to get machines on the LAN (behind pfsense) to reach any of the other OpenVPN clients.

What is the default gateway for the pfSense server?

The pfSense server is the default gateway for the LAN. There is no static route for the OpenVPN subnet, so the pfSense server should be handling all traffic from the LAN machines to the OpenVPN subnet.

What is the range of the pfSense VPN tunnel?

We will use the range 172.16.45.0/24 in this example. The IPv4 Local Networks are networks that pfSense has access to which you would like to make available to devices on the VPN. In most cases this will be your LAN but if you have multiple interfaces configured on your pfSense you may want to expose some or all of these over the VPN tunnel.

How do I know if OpenVPN routing is working?

If you can ping from the OpenVPN client to the LAN then routing is working. Anything else comes down to firewall rules, either on the clients or on the pfSense host.

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How use pfSense with OpenVPN?

Step 1 - Creating a NO-IP Account. ... Step 2 - Setting up DynDNS in pfSense. ... Step 3 - Installing the Client Export Package. ... Step 4 - Configure OpenVPN on pfSense using the OpenVPN Wizard. ... Step 5 - Creating a VPN User. ... Step 6 - pfSense OpenVPN Client Export. ... Step 7 - Installing OpenVPN on Windows and Connecting.

How do I access my pfSense remotely?

To enable the service, log into the web interface of the pfSense router.Access the advanced settings page in the system menu.Check the box labeled 'Enable Secure Shell'Change the default port by entering a new port number in the 'SSH Port' box.More items...•

Is pfSense OpenVPN free?

Secure Remote Network Access Using OpenVPN VPNs provide strong security by encrypting all of the traffic sent between the network and the remote client. Since pfSense is open source and available for free this project won't cost you anything to complete.

Can pfSense be a VPN?

The OpenVPN wizard on pfSense® software is a convenient way to setup a remote access VPN for mobile clients. The wizard configures all of the necessary prerequisites for an OpenVPN remote access server: An authentication source (Local, RADIUS server, or LDAP server) A certificate authority (CA)

How do I remotely access pfSense SSH?

Enable SSH via GUINavigate to System > Advanced, Admin Access tab.Check Enable Secure Shell.Set SSHd Key Only to Public Key Only to allow only key-based SSH authentication.Enter a port number in SSH Port if the SSH daemon should listen on a non-default port. Leave the field blank for the daemon to use port 22.Click Save.

Can you SSH into pfSense?

PFSense - Allow SSH external connections By default, the PFsense firewall does not allow external SSH connections to the WAN interface. In our example we are going to create a firewall rule to allow the SSH communication. Access the Pfsense Firewall menu and select the Rules option.

Is WireGuard better than OpenVPN?

WireGuard offers a more reliable connection for mobile users than OpenVPN because it handles network changes better. OpenVPN adds a data overhead of up to 20%, whereas WireGuard uses just 4% more data (compared with not using a VPN). VPN services need to include mitigations to ensure user privacy when using WireGuard.

Which is better OpenVPN or PPTP?

Conclusion. PPTP has faster speeds and is easier to set up but offers a poorly secured connection. On the other hand, OpenVPN provides decent speeds and excellent security, plus it's great at circumventing geo-blocks and firewalls undetected.

Can pfSense run on Raspberry Pi?

The Raspberry Pi uses the arm64 version and you won't be able to run pfSense on Raspberry Pi. The main reason is that the BSD kernel isn't ideally stable for the arm64 version. Thus, the developers don't bother creating a version of pfSense for Raspberry Pi until the kernel fully supports the arm64 environment.

Does pfSense support WireGuard?

WireGuard is available as an experimental add-on package on pfSense Plus 21.05, pfSense CE 2.5. 2, and later versions.

How do I add a VPN to pfSense?

We need to install the package from the pfSense Package Manager manually.From the menus at the top of the screen, select System > Package Manager. ... Select the Available Packages sub-menu.Scroll down until you see openvpn-client-export and click the Install button to its right. ... Click Confirm.More items...•

What can OpenVPN do?

It can be used to connect multiple different networks together in a site-to-site setup. Access Servers can be connected with each other to give access to resources or VPN clients. Basically, if it can be routed, the OpenVPN Access Server should be able to handle it.

How do I access pfSense console?

PFSense - Enable Console Login Open a browser software, enter the IP address of your Pfsense firewall and access web interface. The Pfsense web interface should be presented. On the prompt screen, enter the Pfsense Default Password login information. After a successful login, you will be sent to the Pfsense Dashboard.

Does pfSense have an API?

5 days agopfSense API is a fast, safe, REST API package for pfSense firewalls. This works by leveraging the same PHP functions and processes used by pfSense's webConfigurator into API endpoints to create, read, update and delete pfSense configurations.

What is the default login for pfSense?

The default credentials for a pfSense® software installation are: Username. admin.

Is pfSense a router?

pfSense is a firewall/router computer software distribution based on FreeBSD. The open source pfSense Community Edition (CE) and pfSense Plus is installed on a physical computer or a virtual machine to make a dedicated firewall/router for a network.

How to provide secure access to OpenVPN?

To provide secure access through OpenVPN we need to provision a Certificate Authority (CA) and generate a suitable certificate. The CA issues and validates the certificates that will secure the VPN.

How to install OpenVPN client export?

Navigate to System > Packages > Available packages and click Install next to the OpenVPN-client-export to install the utility.

How to remotely access a SOHO?

One solution to access these remotely is to open a number of firewall ports. An alternative and more secure method used is to open a single port and enable access through an OpenVPN connection. This guide will build upon the pfSense baseline guide and illustrate how to configure pfSense and an iOS device to enable secure remote access.

What port is OpenVPN on?

This section will configure a secure OpenVPN server running on port 443 rather than the default OpenVPN port of 1194. This reduces the likelihood of a remote network preventing access to your local infrastructure because port 1194 is not permitted or open.

What is the local subnet alias?

The LOCAL_SUBNETS alias is used to identify internal and external networks. Verify the RW_VPN address range ( 192.168.200.0/24) is included in the alias so policy routing continues to function correctly. If you followed a later revision of my baseline guide, you may instead have a 192.168.0.0/16 entry, if so this already includes the `192.168.200.0/24 subnet.

What is NAT in VPN?

NAT is needed to convert private local IP addresses ( 192.168.200.0/24) to the global address space for broadcast on the internet. This section will illustrate how to configure this for our VPN_WAN gateway (or gateways if you have already followed my multiple-VPN failover guide).

Does PFSense use a static IP address?

Most non-business internet connections provide service through a dynamic IP address as opposed to a static one. To enable remote devices to locate and access our network we can use a dynamic DNS service that can keep a DNS record updated with our networks current local WAN address. PFsense has such a service that supports a wide variety of DNS services. This guide will use Amazon’s Route 53 but the same principles apply to the other services although the authorisation settings may vary slightly.

What is pfSense package?

pfSense provides a package called openvpn-client-export which creates preconfigured OpenVPN profiles for you to download containing all the VPN settings and the user certificate if one is used. For Windows users it also allows you to download an OpenVPN client installer which will automatically install the OpenVPN client application and configure it with the VPN settings. This step is optional as you could configure the client settings manually but in most cases, doing it will simplify deployment.

How to export OpenVPN client?

The easiest way to configure client settings is to use the openvpn-client-export package we installed earlier. Go to VPN > OpenVPN > Client Export. At the bottom of this there is a section called OpenVPN Clients. In this section you will see a list of available users whose configuration we can export.

What port does OpenVPN use?

The other setting you may wish to change is the listening port. By default OpenVPN listens on port 1194 in either UDP or TCP mode. You can change the port if you wish, either based on personal preference or if you are on a network which blocks VPN traffic or outbound ports.

What branch of OpenVPN is used for Windows 7?

For Windows 7, 8 or 10 and their corresponding server versions you will want to use the 2.4.8 branch of OpenVPN client. For Windows XP or Vista (shown as win6 in this interface) you will need the older 2.3.18 branch (also, upgrade your PC). Download the installer you want and transfer it to the target PC. Download the correct installer and copy it to your target PC. The installer behaves like any standard Windows installer, just run it, click the “install” button and follow the prompts.

How to create a user in OpenVPN?

To do this we will need to create a user. Go to System > User Manager and add a user. You will need to configure a username and password as per the picture below. The other settings can be left as default although if you are only planning to grant the user temporary access you may want to set the account to expire automatically when access is due to be revoked.

How to install OpenVPN client export?

From the pfSense dashboard go to System > Package Manager > Available Packages and search for the openvpn-client-export package. Click the Install button to install it.

How to create a certificate for OpenVPN?

From the pfSense dashboard, go to System > Cert. Manager > CAs and click Add to create a new CA. Enter a descriptive name to help you identify what the CA is called and a common name which will appear on the certificates. The rest of the settings can be adjusted if required but the defaults should provide a reasonable balance between security and performance for most use cases. By default the CA lifetime is set to 3650 days (10 years) which is reasonable for a CA but can be adjusted if desired. If you wish you can also include location and organisation data but this is entirely optional.

How to send a route to OpenVPN?

You need two things. One, a push route on the OpenVPN server to send the clients a route. push "route 192.168.0.0 255.255.255.0" Then a second phase 2 with the local being 10.1.0.0/24 and remote 192.168.0.0/24, and vice versa on the remote end.

What subnet is OpenVPN on?

We need to enable OpenVPN clients to access hosts on 192.168.0.0./24 subnet.

Can OpenVPN ping 192.168.0.0/24?

OpenVPN clients are able to ping hosts on 192.168.1.0/24 subnet without any problems, but are unable to ping hosts on 192.168.0.0/24.

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