OpenVPN works with XP but Win 7 has resolution problem

BigByte

My OpenVPN works great, but Win 7 clients trying to access the OpenVPN server by name get its local LAN IP (non-routable so unaccessible) rather than the OpenVPN adapter's IP. The clients can access the server via its OpenVPN IP directly, but not by computer name. Win XP clients can access the server by IP AND by name, no problem.

All my OpenVPN computers are Windows machines and are using UDP and a tap device. Neither my home nor my office network has a DNS or WINS server, they both just use Windows' broadcast for resolution. How can I tell Win 7 to use the VPN IP for the server if I'm out of the office and the regular LAN IP when I'm in the office (like Win XP does)?

janjust

there are some issues when running openvpn on windows 7, which have mostly to do with windows itself (and its network location awareness / homegroup stuff).
some workarounds exist, but they depend on your exact openvpn setup. Common things to try are:

* add the following to the client config

register-dns
route-method exe
route-delay 5 20

* make sure the tap-win32 adapter is marked 'private', not 'public'

* disable the firewall on the 'tap-win32' interface