n00b question...OpenVPN OpenWRT- Is it possible?

[kasper1070]

I have a Linksys EA9500 I'm using as a wired bridge. I use it for Wireless as well.

Is it possible to install OpenWRT with OpenVPN and only allow specific devices to use the VPN, while all other traffic uses the "regular" internet?

I only want to use VPN for one or two Smart TVs and streaming only.

Dumb question probably....is this possible and how hard would it be to set up?

Thanks in advance!

[TinCanTech]

is this possible and how hard would it be to set up?

It depends on many other factors which you have not specified but what you want probably can be done but it is probably not easy ..

[kasper1070]

is this possible and how hard would it be to set up?

It depends on many other factors which you have not specified but what you want probably can be done but it is probably not easy ..

Thanks for the reply, I had another setup that I was trying to get assistance on posted here: https://forum.lede-project.org/t/openwr ... wbie/15350 (not even sure it's the right forum, honestly...maybe it would be better here) but I think it's falling short of my expectations with speed. Not sure if it's the config or the actual hardware limitations at this point.

I'm willing to put the effort to make the EA9500 route work in if this other solution doesn't pan out.

Should I post the other project here for assistance? I'm not sure which would be "easier" or work better.

[TinCanTech]

Reading your other thread, it appears you have a working VPN in the manner which you require.

As for speed .. there is really nothing we can do to help you.

A little ASCII art:

Code: Select all

+------------------------------------+
| Streaming TV Service (eg: Netflix) | <-- Who knows how they stream ?
+------------------------------------+
|
| <-- The Wild internet, who knows what throttling goes on here ?
|
+----------------+
| NordVPN Server | <-- Who knows how they prioritise your stream ?
+----------------+
|
| <-- The Wild internet, who knows what throttling goes on here ?
|
+-----------------+
| Your ISP router | No matter what your ISP tells you, you never get exactly what you pay for [*1]
+-----------------+
|
| <-- Your physical network, "probably" nothing to worry about here.
|
+----------------------------+
| Your VPN client to NordVPN | You say this is underpowered maybe [*2]
+----------------------------+
|
| <-- Your physical network, "probably" nothing to worry about here.
|
+---------+
| Your TV |
+---------+

Notes:

• 1. A VPN cannot send as much data as your line speed because of the encryption overhead.
• 2. It may be under powered but it is probably sufficient to handle the data it does receive.

As you can see, there are huge parts of the diagram which you simply cannot influence and therefore cannot change. I guess you could pay for premium service from the TV Streaming service, NordVPN and your ISP and then, if it still does not work, you would have somebody to complain to .. but openvpn simply cannot help with those aspects.

[kasper1070]

Thanks for the explanation and the ASCII art!

It seems logical that a lot is not in my control, but I do pay for premium services on all...and I don't think it's the service.
It's definitely the way the information is coming through the device.

My issues is whether it's the actual limitations of the device or my configs causing an issue, I am not sure. (I would think it's the configs or setup limiting the speed as I was following guides and hashed a few additional things together; not fully understanding what I was doing)

So could you or the members of the forum assist in going over my setup and config files to ensure everything is correct or see if anything sticks out? That way I'll know definitively that it's the device, and not hypothetical.

I would greatly appreciate it!