SOLVED: Oopsie - Any built-in workaround for removal of Loopback routing?

[fr33z0n3r]

SOLVED: Found my issue. The "Enable Port Forwarding" option had not been enabled, after I full reset the config. Oops.

I've just upgraded to the latest version of the AC68U firmware which prevents loopback routing. This is a big deal for me since it breaks my ability to sync my phone files while both at home AND away.

Is there anything built-in that can replace that capability? Maybe a tiny DNS shim (like a hosts file for a dns entry) or something?

TIA!

 

[Martineau]

I've just upgraded to the latest version of the AC68U firmware which prevents loopback routing. This is a big deal for me since it breaks my ability to sync my phone files while both at home AND away.

Is there anything built-in that can replace that capability?

Only the choice between either ASUS' version and RMerlin's method was removed

384.4 (16-Mar-2018)
   - REMOVED: Merlin NAT loopback mode (was increasingly
              problematic as the firmware firewall handling became
              more complex)

NAT loopback works fine on my RT-AC68U v384.11_2 ...i.e. when performing a firmware upgrade/reset, when I start the two OpenVPN servers, I invariably forget to disconnect my phone from my Wifi before testing supposedly 'remote external' access to both servers.

Spoiler: Phone using DDNS happily connects to OpenVPN despite it being on the same LAN

ovpn-server1[18851]: 10.88.8.150:57557 TLS: Initial packet from [AF_INET6]::ffff:10.88.8.150:57557, sid=1fe3986e 7d45603f

ovpn-server1[18851]: 10.88.8.150:57557 VERIFY OK: depth=1, C=TW, ST=TW, L=Taipei, O=ASUS, CN=RT-AC68U, emailAddress=me@myhost.mydomain
ovpn-server1[18851]: 10.88.8.150:57557 VERIFY OK: depth=0, C=TW, ST=TW, L=Taipei, O=ASUS, CN=client, emailAddress=me@myhost.mydomain
ovpn-server1[18851]: 10.88.8.150:57557 peer info: IV_VER=2.5_master
ovpn-server1[18851]: 10.88.8.150:57557 peer info: IV_PLAT=android
ovpn-server1[18851]: 10.88.8.150:57557 peer info: IV_PROTO=2
ovpn-server1[18851]: 10.88.8.150:57557 peer info: IV_NCP=2
ovpn-server1[18851]: 10.88.8.150:57557 peer info: IV_LZ4=1
ovpn-server1[18851]: 10.88.8.150:57557 peer info: IV_LZ4v2=1
ovpn-server1[18851]: 10.88.8.150:57557 peer info: IV_LZO=1
ovpn-server1[18851]: 10.88.8.150:57557 peer info: IV_COMP_STUB=1
ovpn-server1[18851]: 10.88.8.150:57557 peer info: IV_COMP_STUBv2=1
ovpn-server1[18851]: 10.88.8.150:57557 peer info: IV_TCPNL=1
ovpn-server1[18851]: 10.88.8.150:57557 peer info: IV_GUI_VER=de.blinkt.openvpn_0.7.8
ovpn-server1[18851]: 10.88.8.150:57557 WARNING: 'link-mtu' is used inconsistently, local='link-mtu 1550', remote='link-mtu 1549'
ovpn-server1[18851]: 10.88.8.150:57557 WARNING: 'comp-lzo' is present in local config but missing in remote config, local='comp-lzo'
ovpn-server1[18851]: 10.88.8.150:57557 Control Channel: TLSv1.3, cipher TLSv1.3 TLS_CHACHA20_POLY1305_SHA256, 1024 bit RSA
ovpn-server1[18851]: 10.88.8.150:57557 [client] Peer Connection Initiated with [AF_INET6]::ffff:10.88.8.150:57557
ovpn-server1[18851]: client/10.88.8.150:57557 MULTI_sva: pool returned IPv4=10.8.0.2, IPv6=(Not enabled)

(VPNClientConnect.sh): 24940 v4.84 VPN Server 1 Client user '' CCD configuration starting.... [/tmp/openvpn_cc_523f36120f51982f.tmp]
(VPNClientConnect.sh): 24940 All available OpenVPN Environment variables dumped to '/tmp/VPNClientConnect_OpenVPN_variables.txt'
(VPNClientConnect.sh): 24940 VPN Server 1 Client user '' not defined.
(VPNClientConnect.sh): 24940 VPN Server 1 Client I/P 10.88.8.150 address is OK (not on BANNED ACL list)
(VPNClientConnect.sh): 24940 VPN Server 1 Client CCD configuration ended.

ovpn-server1[18851]: client/10.88.8.150:57557 OPTIONS IMPORT: reading client specific options from: /tmp/openvpn_cc_523f36120f51982f.tmp
ovpn-server1[18851]: client/10.88.8.150:57557 MULTI: Learn: 10.8.0.2 -> client/10.88.8.150:57557
ovpn-server1[18851]: client/10.88.8.150:57557 MULTI: primary virtual IP for client/10.88.8.150:57557: 10.8.0.2
ovpn-server1[18851]: client/10.88.8.150:57557 PUSH: Received control message: 'PUSH_REQUEST'
ovpn-server1[18851]: client/10.88.8.150:57557 SENT CONTROL [client]: 'PUSH_REPLY,route 10.88.8.0 255.255.255.0 vpn_gateway 500,dhcp-option DOMAIN Thishouse.home,dhcp-option DNS 10.88.8.1,explicit-exit-notify,route-gateway 10.8.0.1,topology subnet,ping 15,ping-restart 60,ifconfig 10.8.0.2 255.255.255.0,peer-id 0,cipher AES-128-GCM' (status=1)
ovpn-server1[18851]: client/10.88.8.150:57557 Outgoing Data Channel: Cipher 'AES-128-GCM' initialized with 128 bit key
ovpn-server1[18851]: client/10.88.8.150:57557 Incoming Data Channel: Cipher 'AES-128-GCM' initialized with 128 bit key

 

[fr33z0n3r]

Found my issue. The "Enable Port Forwarding" option had not been enabled, after I full reset the config. Oops.