Problems reaching network-shared drive through VPN

[StR]

I have an ASUS AC-86U with Merlin 386.3_2 firmware. I have OpenVPN with "all traffic" sent through the VPN.
There is a Windows box on the internal network with an HDD shared (by username and password).
This drive is accessible from all local devices just fine using \\192.168.1.21 address
However, when I am trying to access it from a computer that is connected to this network from outside via VPN, it is unreachable. At the same time, I can connect to that same computer using remote desktop (RDP).

I cannot figure out why the HDD is not accessible.

Not that I care, but I also see that the network discovery does not seem to work from the computer when it is connected via VPN.
On that client (Windows laptop), the network it is connected to, and the VPN are both configured as "private", so, in principle the network discovery should be allowed by the Windows firewall.

I suspect it is somehow related to the fact that that laptop has a 10.8.2.x address through the VPN, and that is a different subnet.

I wonder if I am forgetting to configure something in the VPN config to allow "comingling" of these two networks, or it is just a limitation of the VPN?

 

[TheLostSwede]

I don't have an Asus router, but I had to enable UDP rather than TCP to make it work properly on my Netgear router, might be worth a try.
Also, rather than Auto, or all traffic in your case, I had to select all sites on the internet and home network, although there's no reason why auto shouldn't have worked, but it just didn't. Might just be some weird quirks with regards to how these devices were originally programmed.

 

[eibgrad]

Your description is a bit ambiguous. You just keep calling things the VPN, leaving us to assume when it's the OpenVPN client vs. server. Case and point, when you say you have issues reaching local devices remotely over the VPN, is that via port forwarding over the VPN? Port forwarding over the WAN? Access from an OpenVPN server running on the same router? Be precise!

 

[ColinTaylor]

However, when I am trying to access it from a computer that is connected to this network from outside via VPN, it is unreachable. At the same time, I can connect to that same computer using remote desktop (RDP).

Windows Firewall allows RDP access from non-local networks but not SMB.

Not that I care, but I also see that the network discovery does not seem to work from the computer when it is connected via VPN.

This is to be expected. Network discovery only works within the local broadcast domain and your client is on a different subnet (10.8.2.x).

 

[StR]

Windows Firewall allows RDP access from non-local networks but not SMB.

Thank you to all who responded.

Is there a way in AC-86U with Merlin 386.3_2 to declare the hosts connected from VPN being a part of the local network? (I think I've seen such an option somewhere, but not sure on which router.)

 

[ColinTaylor]

Thank you to all who responded.

Is there a way in AC-86U with Merlin 386.3_2 to declare the hosts connected from VPN being a part of the local network? (I think I've seen such an option somewhere, but not sure on which router.)

http://www.snbforums.com/threads/he...-on-lan-accessible-remotely.60337/post-529833

 

[StR]

http://www.snbforums.com/threads/he...-on-lan-accessible-remotely.60337/post-529833

Thank you, Colin!