OpenVPN and WINS problem

Mimiko

Hi!

I managed to setup OpenVPN server and clients as tun method. Everything is working, except that after awhile after OpenVPN server service is started, the WINS on the same server does not respond to queryies on any network connected. Stopping OpenVPN brings back WINS reponses.

How to resolve this issue?

Thanks.

krzee

please post both client and server configs without comments. also include what versions of openvpn, and what subnets the machines are on.

Mimiko

I've made some researches. I installed a clean windows server 2003 on a virtual machine withou any programs and roles. Added only wins role and in wins service added a static mapping. After that I installed openvpn ver.2.1.3 and configured like:

;local a.b.c.d
port 1194
proto udp
dev tun
;dev-node tap0901
server 192.168.3.0 255.255.255.0
ifconfig-pool-persist ipp.txt
route-delay 60 60
push "route 132.101.0.0 255.255.0.0"
client-config-dir ccd
route 192.168.0.0 255.255.255.0
push "route 192.168.0.0 255.255.255.0"
route 132.103.0.0 255.255.0.0
push "route 132.103.0.0 255.255.0.0"
client-to-client
;duplicate-cn
keepalive 10 120
comp-lzo
;max-clients 100
;user nobody
;group nobody
persist-key
persist-tun
status openvpn-status.log
log         openvpn.log
;log-append  openvpn.log
verb 3
ip-win32 ipapi

Client1 ccd:

iroute 192.168.0.0 255.255.255.0

Client2 ccd:

iroute 132.103.0.0 255.255.0.0

That's all. The client's configuration file is not relevant because the client is not even started. Then, upon starting openvpn server, the service waits for clients, but WINS server stops to respondig from lan. On the server console WINS responds normally.

krzee

what LAN subnet is the server on?

Mimiko

Server LAN subnet: 132.101.0.0 / 255.255.0.0

[deleted]

Mimiko wroteServer LAN subnet: 132.101.0.0 / 255.255.0.0

US Army? 🙂

krzee

lol @ the army for needing windows filesharing :-p

Mimiko

So, no one can help with this? I though here I can find some answers from experts on OpenVPN, but only jokes got. 🙁
Well, then I'll give a hint on resolving this problem.

after OpenVPN server service is started, the WINS on the same server does not respond to queryies on any network connected

This is not an OpenVPN bug. It's just a old old bug from microsoft windows servers which wasn't fixed even in Windows server 2008 r2. The problem of the WINS service consists in the fact that WINS service only bibds it's self and responses only to the first NIC listed in bindings order tab and only to the first IP of the first nic. To find the bind order of the NICs go to Control Panel -> Network Connections. From menu select Advanced -> Advanced settings. On Adapters and Bindings tab you can see the order in wich network services use adapters. When you install OpenVPN service it sets itself as first adapter to bind. So when service is started WINS start to respond only to virtual OpenVPN nic.

To temporarly solve problem, make sure that the Local LAN on which WINS must service request is the first in bindings tab. And to know that only on the first ip (for multiple ips per nic) of first nic in bindings order WINS listens and responses.

Surelly, microsoft would not want to solve this problem of the WINS service.