Multiple OpenVPN links - will this work?

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wowiesy
OpenVPN User
Posts: 25
Joined: Mon Jul 10, 2017 6:33 am

Multiple OpenVPN links - will this work?

Post by wowiesy » Wed Nov 22, 2017 10:39 am

(also posted in other forums, but belatedly thought this may be the best forum to post this)

Hi,

After setting up MultiWAN router at the satellite office, we experienced problems accessing applications at the main office (through Windows remote Desktop). WinXP and Win7 clients had intermittent Remote Desktop connection to the main office. The setup then was using Remote Desktop app directly to access the main office. I asked support from the main office to setup OpenVPN... and then we setup the WinXP and Win7 clients to be OpenVPN clients connecting to the main office. This way.. somehow, the connections to the main office has stabilized.

The next step will be to setup the OpenVPN on the MultiWAN router itself on the remote LAN. This way, OpenVPN will be transparent from the windows clients. They just launch their Remote Desktop applications and the VPN has been provided by the LAN.

Our concern now is bandwidth. Even though we have 3 different internet links at the main office, each has limited bandwidth. With 4 users from the remote LAN (with more to come) trying to access the main office, at the current setup, wherein each Windows clients has their own OpenVPN client... each client's config file were setup to point to 3 different IP addresses of the main office, in effect doing load balancing in a way. But, if the OpenVPN link is setup by the MultiWAN router, even though I can setup 3 config files for OpenVPN to get each file point to each IP address from the main office, when the client launches Remote Desktop, is there a way to control which OpenVPN link will this certain client use?

this is the layout:

Main Office:
WAN IP1: xx.xx.xx.xx
WAN IP2: yy.yy.yy.yy
WAN IP3: zz.zz.zz.zz

Remote application is accessed through:
LAN IP1: 192.168.100.x
LAN IP2: 192.168.100.y

Remote Office (Multi Wan load balancing mode)
WAN Gateway1: 192.168.2.xyz
WAN Gateway2: 192.168.15.abc
LAN gateway: 192.168.111.1

Current Setup:
Each Client has OpenVPN client - pointing to a specific WAN IP of the Main office -> stable remote desktop access

Planned Setup:
1. Transfer OpenVPN services (connection between Main Office and Remote office) to the MultiWan Router at the Remote office
a. use 1 OpenVPN link to the Main Office
- multiple remote desktop access to main office -> may encounter bandwidth problems
b. use 3 OpenVPN links to the Main Office
- how to direct each Remote Office client to "use" a specific OpenVPN link (to achieve load balancing)

the fall back is the current setup.. where each client has their own OpenVPN client... they connect as needed..

use iptables to direct rdp traffic from a certain ip to a certain tun or tap interface on the MultiWan MultiOpenVPN link? but the dynamic nature of the MultiWan setup may make this complicated... anyone has tried this setup before?


as a side note.. my experience with OpenVPN is limited to tun (routing)... I have advised Main Office support to study using tun adapters in their config for the clients at the remote site... but now I am thinking that perhaps, Windows and RDP protocol may limit my options to tap adapter... .. I guess it is fine as long as the bridge (the actual adapter on the client with the tap adapter) is able to access the other services I've setup on the remote office lan (printing, etc)..


any thoughts? thanks in advance.

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