Re: [gentoo-user] [OT] What is the best open-source VPN server for Linux?

[gevisz <gevisz@gmail.com>]

2018-04-05 19:29 GMT+03:00 Grant Taylor <gtaylor@gentoo.tnetconsulting.net>:
> On 04/05/2018 03:51 AM, gevisz wrote:
>>
>> Yes. And the Client also has static IP. Moreover, both OR and IR have
>> static IPs from the inside. So, the Host can make a connection request to
>> the Client.
>
> With the client having a static IP, things become a LOT simpler.  Simply
> flip things around and have the ""Client be the VPN server and
> the ""Host be the VPN client.

Yes, you are right. It was my misunderstanding of the situation.
The VPN server was initially on outer computer with a static IP,
and on the computer inside the remoted local network was a VPN client.

I have corrected this a bit later in this thread, after a call to the friend.

I even wanted to write that the Host and Client notations should be swapped
but finally decided that this would lead to the mess.

> This REALLY SIGNIFICANTLY simplifies things.
>
>> The Host works as a remoted server and phisical access to it is costy. All
>> administrating of the Host should be done through the Client. That is the
>> reason for the need of VPN.
>
> I sort of wonder what services the server is offering if it can't be
> readily accessed from the outside world.

It makes requests to the other computers in the Internet and saves
the responses. (The same does the computer on the other end of
the scheme. The two remoted servers doing the same job are needed
for redundancy, just in case one of them cannot connect to the Internet
because the blackout, which happens quite often here.)

> Please share a summary of what you end up doing so that others can
> beneift from searching archives.  ;-)

So far, my friend set a newer version of its initial VPN server and client.

The correct scheme looks as follows:
(Administrator) - (VPN host on Windows computer, static IP) <--> (ISP) <-->
   <--> (Internet) <--> (static IP, [outer] router of another ISP,
static IP) <-->
   <--> (dynamic IP, inner router, static IP in a remoted [local] network) <-->
   <--> (static IP in the remoted [local] network, VPN client on
Windows computer in the remoted [local] network)

After starting, the VPN client automatically initiates connection to
the VPN server and
reinitiates it every time when the conection is lost. So, the
connection became permanent.

The initial problem was that, when the computer with the VPN server
loses connection
to the Internet, the VPN client hangs the "computer in the remoted
[local] network"
(in my view, by constantly trying to reconnect to the VPN server, so my initial
recomendation was to increase the time interval between the attempts
to reconnect.)

Currently, the Administrator set a newer version of its initial VPN
server and client
and plays with the parameters. If it won't help, he will try another
VPN server and
client on Windows. If that won't help as well, he is planning to set a
VPN client into
a virtual machine run on "Windows computer in remoted [local] network".

As far as a VPN client, in general, does not need graphical
evironment, it would be
expedient to run a Linux server inside the said virtual machine
(instead of another Windows).