Score:0

Connecting to OpenVPN blocks access to local VLANs on different subnets

br flag

When I'm connecting to an OpenVPN provider, such as NordVPN, I lose connectivity to my local devices which are configured on another subnets.

Eg. the computer connecting to NordVpn is on vlan A which is at subnet 192.168.1.255, while the computer I would like to connect to is on vlan B which is at subnet 192.168.2.255. As soon as the computer on subnet A connect to VPN, I lose the connection to subnet B.

Is there a way to configure my pfsense router to address this? I would like to keep these vlans if possible.

cn flag
Where is the OpenVPN client running, on your device (e.g. laptop) or on the pfsense router?
M.Parent avatar
br flag
On the device, on vlan A
M.Parent avatar
br flag
Please explain the -1 vote
cn flag
The downvote is most likely because as written the question is probably off topic as it is not clear it is in a business context.
M.Parent avatar
br flag
It's a home setup. I didn't knew I had to mention this
cn flag
Server Fault is specifically for dealing with technology in the business context. https://serverfault.com/tour
cn flag
This question is asked multiple times per week. Sometimes per multiple times per day, and is off-topic. Yes, activating a VPN will change your routing table. Yes, it will cause devices to become inaccessible if you do not prepare for this. Yes this is usually the intended behavior, for a number of reasons, such as the host of VPN network doesn't want other networks attached to it. The details of using and managing a VPN from home may be a topic better suited for SuperUser.
Score:1
cn flag

Then the problem will be OpenVPN changing the device's default route and nothing to do with pfsense.

You will need to add explicit routes on the device to the local router (pfsense) as the next hop for subnets on the vlans.

M.Parent avatar
br flag
Thank you for your reply! The nearest local router would be the main pfsense house router in this case, or it's some routing in the computer host file?
cn flag
You need to configure the routing on the device running the openvpn client, by the sounds of it you need to point to the pfsense machine as the next hop on the way to the vlan'd subnets.
I sit in a Tesla and translated this thread with Ai:

mangohost

Post an answer

Most people don’t grasp that asking a lot of questions unlocks learning and improves interpersonal bonding. In Alison’s studies, for example, though people could accurately recall how many questions had been asked in their conversations, they didn’t intuit the link between questions and liking. Across four studies, in which participants were engaged in conversations themselves or read transcripts of others’ conversations, people tended not to realize that question asking would influence—or had influenced—the level of amity between the conversationalists.