FreeNAS 8.3.1 and OpenVPN

[MuddSkipper]

Hello, been searching Google and the FreeNAS forums and have been looking for answers on setting up my FreeNAS server to connect to a VPN server. From what I gather, OpenVPN protocols have been added for this version (correct?). However, I have not been able to find any tutorials on setting this up. Would anyone be kind enough to point me in the right direction?

I recently updated from version 8.0.4 and got my Transmission plugin working again (very different from how it worked in 8.0.4). I would like all internet traffic to be filtered through the VPN, but remain to be accessible from my local network. Is this even possible running Transmission traffic through the VPN since it is running through the jail "VM"?

Any advice will be helpful.

Thanks!

 

[James]

There is this one: http://joepaetzel.wordpress.com/2012/07/24/openvpn-on-freenas-8-2/.

 

[madmax]

So I can't get openvpn working inside the jail, setting up openvpn not in jail is pretty simple but since your bridging over the tun using a virtual interference i think you have do some modifying. For me I just want set up the client side so I'm just tryin to figure it out from this thread that shows how to setup openvpn server inside the jail. Maybe this could help us, joe's post doesn't show it within a jail.

http://forums.freebsd.org/showthread.php?t=22143

 

[DeliveryGuy]

Inside a jail?

Is there really any particular reason you need openvpn running inside the jail? That was the way I was initially trying to get it to work, but really had no luck. Josh Paetzel explained to me why running it in a jail is a tough deal, but honestly, I didn't even catch half of what he was saying. The bit I caught of it was it sucks trying to get the routes set up. At some point I'll re-write my notes on how to get it configured in the host OS into a more complete write up.

The benefit of running it in a jail if you can make it work is that FreeNas updates won't blow away your OpenVPN install. Doh

Thanks,

Joe

So I can't get openvpn working inside the jail, setting up openvpn not in jail is pretty simple but since your bridging over the tun using a virtual interference i think you have do some modifying. For me I just want set up the client side so I'm just tryin to figure it out from this thread that shows how to setup openvpn server inside the jail. Maybe this could help us, joe's post doesn't show it within a jail.

http://forums.freebsd.org/showthread.php?t=22143

 

[madmax]

Re: Inside a jail?

Is there really any particular reason you need openvpn running inside the jail?

Joe

I run transmission plugin within the jail and even if openvpn is running outside the jail, the jail doesn't route through the openvpn connection so my bits from the jail don't go through the openvpn.

 

[tripialos]

Hi guys

I am also into setting up an openvpn server on my FreeNAS but i an already stacked at the basics.

I have the FreeNAS-8.3.1-BETA3-x64 (r13264) version and i am following the tutorials mention in this thread but i cant find any

usr/local/share/doc/openvpn/sample-config-files/server.conf files nor

/usr/local/share/doc/openvpn/easy-rsa files.

I do tho see that there is the openvpn binary under /usr/local/sbin/openvpn however as i mentioned there arent any of the easy-rsa files anywhere.

Is it because i have the beta version?

Thanks

 

[Lukas]

I'd like to push this thread since I'm having the same issue as tripialos. Anyone able to help out?

 

[DeliveryGuy]

They will not ship FreeNas with easy-rsa goodies. You can get them by installing openssl on your desktop/workstation or you can grab them from the comments of my blog post. http://joepaetzel.wordpress.com/2012/07/24/openvpn-on-freenas-8-2/

The server.conf and client.conf files I use are also in the comments of my post.

Best of luck.

 

[Lukas]

Wow, that was an awesomely quick and helpful reply. Thank you!

 

[DeliveryGuy]

np. I tend to follow the comments on my blog better...but your post popped up...let me know if you run into any other issues. I need to create a second follow-up post on OpenVPN on FreeNas with some things I've learned since the first post. Most notably, don't keep your keys and configs on the OS "drive". Keep them on your storage drive somewhere secure...and point to them from your /etc/rc.conf file.

 

[Lukas]

Yes and with all the knowledge and additional info scattered in the comments it's a little hard to read... :/

 

[dlavigne]

Easy-rsa is included in 9.1.0.

 

[diedrichg]

Joe has a poll to rewrite the OpenVPN tutorial. Please go vote for him to rewrite it!
http://joepaetzel.wordpress.com

 

[thaFaxGuy]

Like you I started out that way, i.e. installing a VPN on a jail. However, you will have to redo all of that whenever you upgrade or you need to rebuild your jail.
I currently setup my VPNs (OpenVPN & PPTP) on a raspberry pi. This is cheep (less than $60) and is up constantly. I use the OpenVPN to access my NAS and the PPTP for watching FIOS TV live on my iPad when I am away from home.

 

[DeliveryGuy]

Just an FYI, updated post on OpenVPN on FreeNas.
http://joepaetzel.wordpress.com/2013/09/22/openvpn-on-freenas-9-1/

 

[MuddSkipper]

No love for OP. I don't get it, I realize a lot of people want to set up a VPN server, but does no one just want to use VPN as a client? Have not found a straight answer in any of my searches to connect jail to OpenVPN connection.

I can successfully connect via OpenVPN but cannot route jail traffic through VPN. HAS ANYONE SUCCESSFULLY DONE THIS? I am using 9.1.1 release now.

 

[Whattteva]

Probably cause most people do it through their router. It's simpler, more secure, and has the added benefit of eliminating the need to set up additional routes for the VPN tunnel because chances are, your NAS box is probably not the default gateway for your network.

 

[Jojoicb]

I think this thread has been misunderstood. The OP is asking about setting up the freenas box to download torrents through a vpn connection. He is not trying to setup a vpn server to connect to from the outside.

 

[cyberjock]

I think this thread has been misunderstood. The OP is asking about setting up the freenas box to download torrents through a vpn connection. He is not trying to setup a vpn server to connect to from the outside.

I've avoided this thread because I couldn't get my head around what he wanted.

But, I think that universally what he's asking for really isn't supported through this forum. FreeNAS provides the PBIs and the jails. What you do with them and how you choose to setup the stuff inside is really your own business. As for VPNs, that's not FreeNAS officially as we don't support VPN servers on FreeNAS(again, not officially). You can do some things to make FreeNAS(or a jailed FreeBSD install or Linux install) handle the VPN server responsibilities. But again, that's pretty much outside the realm of this forum.

Asking for help on things inside the jail is like asking the VMWare forums about how to install antivirus on your Windows 7 VM. That's not within the confines of their support infrastructure. The admins like myself threads like this up typically and we probably shouldn't. But I hate administrating through deletion. Often, there's someone with the answer that can provide it here. So any layman could argue to keep it or to delete it.