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How to setup an IP phone with an OpenVPN client

Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 2:27 pm
by shayno90
I would like to setup an IP phone connect via an OpenVPN client to an internal network. I have the OpenVPN client running correctly on Linux Ubuntu, a VOIP card in the PABX to tunnel the VOIP traffic.

All I need to know is how to setup a switch or router to have an active OpenVPN connection to the internal network as PC (x) port connection of the IP phone is dependent of a PC or laptop.

The IP phone is a NEC Infrontia IP1WW-24TIXH. It is routed correctly to connect to the VOIP card on the PABX.

So if anyone has configured a switch/router (ideally a switch) to run an active OpenVPN connection, please share this information.

Re: How to setup an IP phone with an OpenVPN client

Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 3:42 pm
by janjust
you want a switch to be an OpenVPN client? that's a might expensive switch if it can do that: what I mean is that yes, some switches do support this (I'm thinking Arista here) but those switches are VERY expensive.

It'd be far easier to buy a cheapo WRT box, run dd-wrt on it and use that as the VPN client. As you're running a VPN you will most likely need some form of IP routing (not switching!) anyways.

Re: How to setup an IP phone with an OpenVPN client

Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 4:24 pm
by shayno90
janjust wrote:you want a switch to be an OpenVPN client? that's a might expensive switch if it can do that: what I mean is that yes, some switches do support this (I'm thinking Arista here) but those switches are VERY expensive.

It'd be far easier to buy a cheapo WRT box, run dd-wrt on it and use that as the VPN client. As you're running a VPN you will most likely need some form of IP routing (not switching!) anyways.
The plan was to connect an ip phone on the switch of the client's local network, pass the voice thought the client's vpn tunel to access to the PABX where the VOIP card is and is also behind the openvpn server.

I am attempting to run the openvpn client on the laptop and use a USB2.0 ethernet device to pass the connection to a switch and then connect the IP phone to the switch but I am guessing this will not work.

Apart from buying a WRT box (will look into this if it is cheap and easy to configure), what other way can the IP phone connect to a OpenVPN connection? (Other than the scenario I tried to test above)

I take it will involve IP routing as you said and maybe changes to the client/server.conf also?

Thanks.

Re: How to setup an IP phone with an OpenVPN client

Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 4:29 pm
by janjust
The plan was to connect an ip phone on the switch of the client's local network, pass the voice thought the client's vpn tunel to access to the PABX where the VOIP card is and is also behind the openvpn server.

I am attempting to run the openvpn client on the laptop and use a USB2.0 ethernet device to pass the connection to a switch and then connect the IP phone to the switch but I am guessing this will not work.
if the laptop can reach the VOIP server then any device that can reach the laptop can reach the VOIP server : it's mostly a matter of routing. It might require some changes to the VPN configuration, as you want to route traffic from "behind" the VPN client to the server (and onward to the VOIP server).

Re: How to setup an IP phone with an OpenVPN client

Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 5:03 pm
by shayno90
janjust wrote:
if the laptop can reach the VOIP server then any device that can reach the laptop can reach the VOIP server : it's mostly a matter of routing. It might require some changes to the VPN configuration, as you want to route traffic from "behind" the VPN client to the server (and onward to the VOIP server).
The laptop cannot only connect to the PABX and VOIP card while on the internal network and not via the OpenVPN.
So then it may not work.

What changes to the client.conf would have to be made in any case? e.g. (just an example from another guide)

On the server.conf
route 10.10.1.0 255.255.255.0
route 10.10.3.0 255.255.255.0
push "route 10.10.2.0 255.255.255.0"
push "route 10.10.1.0 255.255.255.0"
push "route 10.10.3.0 255.255.255.0"
client-to-client

On the client.conf
push "route 10.66.0.0 255.255.255.0"

client-config-dir ccd

iroute 192.168.4.0 255.255.255.0

route 192.168.4.0 255.255.255.0

client-to-client
push "route 192.168.4.0 255.255.255.0"

Re: How to setup an IP phone with an OpenVPN client

Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 12:25 pm
by maikcat
hi there,

about your config

>On the client.conf
>push "route 10.66.0.0 255.255.255.0"

>client-config-dir ccd ## this goes to your server config

iroute 192.168.4.0 255.255.255.0 ## this goes to your clients ccd file

route 192.168.4.0 255.255.255.0 ##this goes to your server config

client-to-client ##this goes to your server config
push "route 192.168.4.0 255.255.255.0" #you can use this in both server config and ccd files

Michael.

Re: How to setup an IP phone with an OpenVPN client

Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 2:51 pm
by shayno90
I want to connect the following via OpenVPN and need to know how to do so:

IP Phone (192.168.100.30) (local address so I guess will need something like 10.8.0.3)
l
l
Netbook openvpn client (10.8.0.2)
l
l
Openvpn server (10.8.0.1)
l
l
VOIP Card (192.168.100.5) (local address)

Other than getting a WTR router or proprietary software for the IP phone, is it possible to route all of the above
using OpenVPN?