Using separate wireless router for dedicated VPN?

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Peter Redmer
Peter Redmer's picture
Using separate wireless router for dedicated VPN?

Hi everybody -- wanted to share with you something I've done recently with my VPN setup, and see if anyone else has some unique ways to do what I'm doing.

Currently, I have an R6300 running DD-WRT handling my main network connection -- all of my other network devices, e.g., VueZone base station, NAS, TiVo, and so on are connected to it. I have my main desktop and laptop connected directly to it via Ethernet, and they are running the software package given to me by my VPN.

This allows me to preserve maximum speed and throughput on those two devices.

Then, I have a WNR3500Lv2 running Tomato connected to a gigabit switch off of the main router, that is running a separate wireless network and OpenVPN always-on, configured within Tomato.

This means that every wireless device in the home (e.g. tablets, phones, game consoles, guests, etc) are automatically VPN'd. The only downside is that if I want to wirelessly connect to my NAS, I have to switch wireless networks.

Ideally, I'd like to bridge those two networks so I could connect wirelessly to the WNR3500Lv2, utilizing the OpenVPN connection, but still seamlessly access the network on the R6300.

What is the easiest way to do this, if it is even realistically possible the way I'm thinking? I don't want the network on the WNR3500Lv2 to be " the same;" I want it to live as a separate network but still access the other network somehow.

Also, does anyone else have a unique setup like this?

kamaaina
kamaaina's picture
I might have done something

I might have done something similar. I used to have an Linksys E3000 w/ Tomato as the main WL router. Then I started with OpenVPN and realized the speed went down like crazy, and I had issues with the Obihai VoIP boxes/services. They did not work with the encrypted connection.

I looked at other options, and put the E3000 as a main Internet gateway w/o VPN and wireless OFF (with the VoIP adapters connected), and then an ASUS RT-N66U behind it with Tomato running the VPN and everything else connected to this router. Works fine, and the speed literally doubled.

Currently changed it again. Now the RT-N66U is the gateway router (No VPN), and behind it sits the new R7000 with DD-WRT running the VPN. Again, speed doubled. So, I kinda did create two networks but they are daisy chained so everything (except VoIP) goes through the VPN router. I decided 25 Mbps should be ok in most cases.

My VPN speeds DL/UL (all with PIA OpenVPN on router):
E3000 w/ Tomato ~ 7/2
RT-N66U w/ Tomato ~ 14/5
R7000 w/ DD-WRT ~ 25/8
Something like that more or less consistent. Internet speed w/o VPN is 55/11. Will lower the speed when the promo runs out as the VPN can't handle it anyway.

Accid
Accid's picture
I might have something

I might have something similar
I am running the R7000.  DDWRT Kong r23350

I have 2 bridges on it Br0 and Br1.
I am hosting an Intranet network through out my neighborhood, sharing internet, movies, music and storage space on a external Hard Drive Via the USB ports on the router. Once the Hard drive is connected to the directly to router it cab be shared via NAS/Samba Server with any amount of networks.

My personal network is on Br0 via vlan2 includes Wlan (port 1-3, IP 13.13.13.X) and the Port 4 is on Br1 vlan3 IP 192.168.2.X. Both networks have hardware based devices with static IP address on them. I like to set my DHCP range from X.X.X.20 upwards so I can set devices with static IPs and not have any conflicts. Both networks are connected to separate Gigibit switches so even if the router is rebooted access to the devices within the individual networks a accessible.  
My goal was to have privacy on my network (I have a ZyXel NAS connected with my private data on this network)  but be able to administrate over devices over both networks once the router is running. Using static IPs and Port 8080 administrator login on the devices(these devices are non DDWRT). I can troubleshoot a problem with my tablet PC .

My network

Accid
Accid's picture
I am having a problem with my

I am having a problem with my network. Using the diagram I posted.

 

The house with the IP 192.168.2.13 would drop of the Active client list under the Status/Lan tab.

  • The user does not have a router connected to the Nexxt Nexxtgate device.
  • I can ping the device through command prompt or from the router.
  • I have deduced this happens there is no internet traffic coming through the IP 192.168.2.13. This also happens with the other clients from time to time.
  • I have been fixing this be having to reboot the Nexxt Nexxtgate(192.168.2.13) and the my Netgear R7000. This is sometimes a problem if I am not home.
  • I want to run a ping on all the devices at least every hour to test if this will solve the problem.
  • Is there such a command to run a delayed ping?, or at certain times of the day?
  •  I have also discovered if I use WOL feature, it will keep the Ip active but I can only input 1 automatic wake on lan at a time.
  • Any thoughts anyone?