Windows 10: Using local DNS while connected to remote VPN server

a.

Sooo I'm trying to use a local DNS server (Site 1) while connecting to a remote VPN server (Site 2) on Windows 10.

> Site 1
Windows 10
DNS Server (pihole)

> Site 2
VPN Server
Dev Server

The DNS server has some local DNS records configured for development purposes, and everything is peachy on my Mac machines on either site. My problem comes when connecting my Windows 10 machine on Site 1 over VPN to Site 2 to access the dev server, using the same dns records which are configured on the DNS server locally.

I can seemily configure the VPN connection to use the Site 1 DNS server ip address, but as soon as I connect the Windows 10 machine to the Site 2 VPN server it cant query any Site 1 DNS servers (returns a timeout) even if it can still ping those ip addresses and access admin web interfaces. It can query the Site 2 DNS servers though. And once I disconnect the VPN connection, it can once again query the Site 1 DNS servers.

My Macs can query the DNS Server on either side, so this seems like a Windows 10 implementation crinkle? Help! 🙂

TinCanTech

Please see: https://forums.openvpn.net/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=22603

fh29

Hello,

Which version of OpenVPN Connect do you use?
I suggest you try with both v3.2.3 and v3.3.0

Have you tried the open-source "OpenVPN GUI" client?
https://github.com/OpenVPN/openvpn-gui
Do you have the same issue with it?

Possibly related issues:
https://forums.openvpn.net/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=32325
https://forums.openvpn.net/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=32511

lot29

fh29 wrote Hello,

Which version of OpenVPN Connect do you use?
I suggest you try with both v3.2.3 and v3.3.0

Have you tried the open-source "OpenVPN GUI" client?
https://github.com/OpenVPN/openvpn-gui
Do you have the same issue with it?

Possibly related issues:
https://forums.openvpn.net/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=32325
https://forums.openvpn.net/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=32511

Just posting to say, I have the exact same issue. No problems when connecting using the IOS App at all, though on Windows 10, on OpenVPN Connect 3.4.2, my local DNS requests time out and I have to rely on the fall-back Google DNS.

Issue does not occur on OpenVPN GUI, though the app doesn't have WIN11 support.

I did not try 3.2.3/3.3.0 as I'm not sure where to find these, would you be able to point me towards them? thanks