Two NICs: One OpenVPN Client, the Other, a Server

ifmifmh

Hello,

I am a noob with superficial knowledge of how OpenVPN, and VPNs in general, work. So, I have a question I do not understand how to answer myself, neither how to properly search for the answer. Hopefully you can direct this noob in the right direction!

I have two NICs in the same computer--headless Ubuntu 14.04.2 server (one embedded in the motherboard, the other as a separate PCI card). I was wondering if, when both NICs are connected to the same home router, I can separate traffic on the computer between the two NICs so that one NIC is used solely for a constantly running OpenVPN server that I can connect to (say, at a coffee shop from another computer), and the other NIC connected to an OpenVPN service as a client (allowing only that NIC to connect through a tunnel with a service like PIA, IPvanish, or Torguard).

Is this possible simply with OpenVPN? Or would I have to do some iptable/iproute2 "magic" to segregate traffic as well (which, if you could, point me in the direction of a good tutorial on how to do this, if this is the case)?

I may be making things difficult for myself, but I want to avoid having to run a separate computer (or even a raspberry pi) when I already have this computer nearly always running as a home media server.

Thank you for your time!

TiTex

i think you can bind the interfaces/ip address that you want for client/server openvpn

from the manual page https://community.openvpn.net/openvpn/wiki/Openvpn23ManPage

--local host
Local host name or IP address for bind. If specified, OpenVPN will bind to this address only. If unspecified, OpenVPN will bind to all interfaces.

ifmifmh

Do you think it might be easier just use a virtual machine with openvpn client and running all of the things I want to through that tunnel? While I have the openvpn server running on the host?

TiTex

i don't see any reason to do that, since one pc can act as a server and client in the same time
but that's your choice

ifmifmh

TiTex wrotei don't see any reason to do that, since one pc can act as a server and client in the same time
but that's your choice

Do you know how a configuration might look while binding the server and the client?

So, if I have two different nics, one nic can use my home ip as a server, and the on the other nic basically tunneling all traffic through the VPN service? How might that look?

Thanks.

ifmifmh

TiTex wrotei don't see any reason to do that, since one pc can act as a server and client in the same time
but that's your choice

Okay. So, for some reason I couldn't get my second nic to work, and now I have only one nic. Is it still possible given that I have one nic?