Trying 2 Connect Router to a TP-Link AC1750v5 OpenVPN Server

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SEPennaBob
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 08 Sep 2020
Posts: 8

PostPosted: Tue Sep 08, 2020 18:30    Post subject: Trying 2 Connect Router to a TP-Link AC1750v5 OpenVPN Server Reply with quote
I have DD-WRT installed and working on my Netgear WNDR4500v2 router, and have configured and used it successfully as a dedicated VPN router connected to my Private Internet Access account. Now, instead of connecting to my PIA VPN account, I wish to reconfigure it to connect to my home VPN server which is a TP-Link AC1750 (Archer C7) v5 router running successfully as an OpenVPN server on its own TP-Link operating system (not DD-WRT), which is running just fine as is. I am able to successfully connect to it from a remote location using the Windows 10 OpenVPN software, and also from my iPhone using the OpenVPN iPhone app. Both work great.

The DD-WRT router I'm trying to configure is running firmware version DD-WRT v3.0-r42872 giga (04/10/20).

Attached is a redacted version of the .ovpn configuration file generated by the TP-Link router running OpenVPN.

I did my best to configure OpenVPN in DD-WRT to connect with this server, but have been unsuccessful. I'm thinking I'm missing a critical setting or two.

Any help or suggestions you may provide would be greatly appreciated!

-Bob
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egc
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 18 Mar 2014
Posts: 12837
Location: Netherlands

PostPosted: Tue Sep 08, 2020 18:54    Post subject: Reply with quote
It should do.

What did you configure, show a picture of the OVPN settings page with your best guess Smile

_________________
Routers:Netgear R7000, R6400v1, R6400v2, EA6900 (XvortexCFE), E2000, E1200v1, WRT54GS v1.
Install guide R6400v2, R6700v3,XR300:https://forum.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=316399
Install guide R7800/XR500: https://forum.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=320614
Forum Guide Lines (important read):https://forum.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=324087
egc
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 18 Mar 2014
Posts: 12837
Location: Netherlands

PostPosted: Tue Sep 08, 2020 19:07    Post subject: Reply with quote
Try something like this, of course you have to enter the keys and certs in their respective boxes

If it does not work show a picture of the OVPN status page after you added
Code:
verb 5
in the OpenVPN Additional Config
_________________
Routers:Netgear R7000, R6400v1, R6400v2, EA6900 (XvortexCFE), E2000, E1200v1, WRT54GS v1.
Install guide R6400v2, R6700v3,XR300:https://forum.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=316399
Install guide R7800/XR500: https://forum.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=320614
Forum Guide Lines (important read):https://forum.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=324087
SEPennaBob
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 08 Sep 2020
Posts: 8

PostPosted: Wed Sep 09, 2020 3:52    Post subject: Reply with quote
egc wrote:
Try something like this, of course you have to enter the keys and certs in their respective boxes

If it does not work show a picture of the OVPN status page after you added
Code:
verb 5
in the OpenVPN Additional Config


Thanks very much, EGC.

I followed your instructions, but I'm not quite successful yet. I seem to be having a "TLC Error", as you can see in the attached client log which I copied and pasted from the Open VPN Status page.


!!!!!PICTURES REMOVED FOR WIDTH VIOLATION- FOLLOW THE RULES!!!!!
egc
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 18 Mar 2014
Posts: 12837
Location: Netherlands

PostPosted: Wed Sep 09, 2020 7:03    Post subject: Reply with quote
Check your date and time
_________________
Routers:Netgear R7000, R6400v1, R6400v2, EA6900 (XvortexCFE), E2000, E1200v1, WRT54GS v1.
Install guide R6400v2, R6700v3,XR300:https://forum.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=316399
Install guide R7800/XR500: https://forum.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=320614
Forum Guide Lines (important read):https://forum.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=324087
SEPennaBob
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 08 Sep 2020
Posts: 8

PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2020 3:40    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yes, I see the date and time were set to 1969.

I rebooted the router without having it connected to the Internet, disabled Open VPN, rebooted with the Internet reconnected via Ethernet cable to the WAN port, and the date and time reset to the correct (current) values. Next, I enabled Open VPN and clicked Save, however when I clicked Apply the DD-WRT web page froze and could not be refreshed. My laptop was still connected to the router, but there was no Internet access and the router seemed to be frozen. In its frozen state I could not reach DD-WRT via the router's IP address that I had set to 192.168.3.1. I tried rebooting with the Ethernet cable still connected to the WAN port, but the router provided no Internet access and the DD-WRT interface could not be reached and the router was again frozen. Next, I disconnected the WAN cable and rebooted once more, and now I was again able to access the router's DD-WRT interface via 192.168.3.1. However I noticed the router's date and time had reverted to 7pm in December 1969 again.

It seems as though my Open VPN configuration freezes the router, and causes it to lose its current time setting also.

Thanks for your help but I seem to have hit a dead end, as I could not reach the client log page to show you any diagnostic info because the router is frozen while the router is trying to activate VPN, and I cannot reach the log page while the router is frozen.

Anyway, thank you sincerely for trying to help me. I guess I'll go back to using the router to reach Private Internet Access only, and give up trying to reach my home router this way, via Open VPN.
egc
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 18 Mar 2014
Posts: 12837
Location: Netherlands

PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2020 5:59    Post subject: Reply with quote
Latest build as of today is 44251.
So consider upgrading.
Earlier builds had problems with gui freezing.
There is a trick to unfreeze the GUI:
Via the cli (telnet/putty):
Stopservice httpd
Startservice httpd

Setting up openvpn server to your own ddwrt client is easy and covered in the Openvpn server setup guide Link in my signature.

_________________
Routers:Netgear R7000, R6400v1, R6400v2, EA6900 (XvortexCFE), E2000, E1200v1, WRT54GS v1.
Install guide R6400v2, R6700v3,XR300:https://forum.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=316399
Install guide R7800/XR500: https://forum.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=320614
Forum Guide Lines (important read):https://forum.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=324087
SEPennaBob
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 08 Sep 2020
Posts: 8

PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2020 18:19    Post subject: Reply with quote
I did a 30-30-30 reset, then as you recommended I upgraded to the latest 44251 version successfully, did another 30-30-30, entered in all of the original settings into DD-WRT including the VPN certificates and...

SUCCESS! I'm solidly in my VPN through this router!!! Everything works now.

THANK YOU!

-Bob in PA/USA
blkt
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 20 Jan 2019
Posts: 5660

PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2020 19:24    Post subject: Reply with quote
30/30/30 is for ancient MIPSR1 routers, so please don't do it. TP Link Archer C7 - DD-WRT Wiki

For future reference, yours is hold reset for 10 seconds while already powered on and fully booted.

https://www.tp-link.com/us/user-guides/archer-a7&c7_v5/chapter-1-get-to-know-about-your-router

"Press and hold this button until the Power LED binks to reset the router to its factory default settings."

Yes, binks...the Engrish is strong. https://wikidevi.wi-cat.ru/TP-LINK_Archer_C7_v5.x
SEPennaBob
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 08 Sep 2020
Posts: 8

PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2020 21:23    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks BLKT but I don't have DD-WRT on my TP-Link router, which is my OpenVPN server. I still have the TP-Link firmware running that router, and it works fine.

The router I had flashed to DD-WRT and just upgraded is an old Netgear WNDR4500v2. I thought I was supposed to use the 30-30-30 method on it. In any case, it apparently survived my 30-30-30s with no damage, and the latest DD-WRT upgrade loaded successfuly.

Thanks again.
blkt
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 20 Jan 2019
Posts: 5660

PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2020 22:18    Post subject: Reply with quote
http://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/WNDR4500V2/WNDR4500v2_UM_25Aug2014.pdf

"...press and hold the Reset button on the back of the router for at least 7 seconds."

https://kb.netgear.com/19432/WNDR4500-FAQs 5~10 seconds.

https://wiki.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Netgear_WNDR4500 20 seconds...because reasons. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

https://wikidevi.wi-cat.ru/Netgear_WNDR4500v2
SEPennaBob
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 08 Sep 2020
Posts: 8

PostPosted: Fri Sep 11, 2020 3:11    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks BLKT!
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