PIA VPN on DD WRT Router Setup as an AP

pheebspheebs
in Other Devices VPN Setup
Hi Folks

I've got a Linksys WRT3200ACM running DDWRT and I've managed to get PIA configured such that it generally works.

What I was hoping to do, is use this DDWRT router as an Access Point on an existing network that has an ISP supplied router already running, to allow me a simple mechanism to connect to one Wifi connection for a VPN'd connection, and the ISP supplied router to unprotected traffic (to avoid issues such as Netflix IP blocking etc).

. . . however I've found that unless the DDWRT router is set to be a DHCP server, the PIA connection doesn't work.

After some back and forth with the PIA support guys, they suggested having both my DDWRT router and ISP supplied router setup as DHCP servers, but setting them to allocate different IP ranges. This also works to some degree, but this isn't reliable on account of it being perfectly possible to get an IP assigned from an opposing router (including when a device has an existing assigned IP with a valid lease).

Has anyone else got PIA VPN running on a DDWRT router acting as an AP? Does anyone have any bright ideas?

Cheers

P



Comments

  • PiaVipperPiaVipper
    I managed to do it, so it can't be that difficult! I think this is what you want:
    http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Client_Mode

    Otherwise have a look through this:
    http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Linking_Routers

    HTH,
    Vipper


  • pheebspheebs
    PiaVipper said:
    I managed to do it, so it can't be that difficult! I think this is what you want:
    http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Client_Mode

    Otherwise have a look through this:
    http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Linking_Routers

    HTH,
    Vipper



    Sorry - I must be being thick here . . . the link to "Client Mode" page states "This mode is NOT for WIRED connections between two routers! It is a wireless connection between two routers only."

    I'm specifically connecting both routers with a wired connection.

    The "Wired Access Point" instructions off the 2nd link are the correct configuration, however they talk about disabling DHCP. As above, when I do this the VPN then won't connect . . .

    So I understand your setup;

    * Are you saying you've got an ISP router and a DD-WRT router - where they're cabled together?
    * . . .and the ISP router is DHCP enabled, with the DD-WRT router setup as an AP (not DHCP enabled)?
    * . . .and connecting to the wifi of the ISP router then gives you "clear" traffic (not VPN'd)
    * . . .and connecting to the wifi of the DD WRT router then gives you VPN'd traffic?

    If so - I'm not understanding how your DD-WRT router successfully connects to the VPN as mine simpy refuses to connect without the DHCP enabled. Can you give me a clue as to what the VPN settings are on the DD-WRT router with DHCP disabled?

    Cheers

    P
  • PiaVipperPiaVipper
    pheebs said:

    So I understand your setup;

    1       Are you saying you've got an ISP router and a DD-WRT router - where they're cabled together?
    2  . . .and the ISP router is DHCP enabled, with the DD-WRT router setup as an AP (not DHCP enabled)?
    3 . . .and connecting to the wifi of the ISP router then gives you "clear" traffic (not VPN'd)
    4 . . .and connecting to the wifi of the DD WRT router then gives you VPN'd traffic?



    My apologies:
    1. Yes but they are connected wirelessly
    2. Both DCHP enabled on different subnets (ISP 192.168.1.x, DD 192.168.2.x)
    3. Yes
    4. Yes

  • PiaVipperPiaVipper
    Phantom said:
    ohhh.. that's not good.. the VPN router should be wired to the other router.
    It may be possible but so far I have not used a router that can act as an AP and use an active VPN on a wireless WAN connection. It might be able to be done.. but I have never seen it before.

    You lost me - isn't that what I do?
    Any WRT (Open or DD etc.) router will work as a wireless AP and run a VPN - I have done it dozens of times.
  • pheebspheebs
    PiaVipper said:
    pheebs said:

    So I understand your setup;

    1       Are you saying you've got an ISP router and a DD-WRT router - where they're cabled together?
    2  . . .and the ISP router is DHCP enabled, with the DD-WRT router setup as an AP (not DHCP enabled)?
    3 . . .and connecting to the wifi of the ISP router then gives you "clear" traffic (not VPN'd)
    4 . . .and connecting to the wifi of the DD WRT router then gives you VPN'd traffic?



    My apologies:
    1. Yes but they are connected wirelessly
    2. Both DCHP enabled on different subnets (ISP 192.168.1.x, DD 192.168.2.x)
    3. Yes
    4. Yes

    Ah OK - so aside from the wireless vs wired connection of the two - the only other difference is that I've not set difference subnets on each router.

    I'll give that a whirl and see how it goes.

    Appreciate your help.

    C
  • p0690134p0690134
    @pheebs

    Did that wind up working for you?  I need to do the same thing.
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