Upgraded to latest ASUS Merlin on AC-RT5300 and lost client list...

[Pupster]

My 2Ghz WiFi wasn't working on my RT-AC5300, so I had to ultimately do a factory reset, load the latest ASUS firmware, and then reload the latest Merlin (just going from build 380.x.x to 384.x.x still resulted in the 2 Ghz radio unable to authenticate any clients, despite entering the correct passwords...).

I had to reload/reconfigure the OpenVPN server and clients on the home router (I have my home router designed to act as a server AND as a client (and the same w/ the remote router), in case the dynamic DNS goes down, so that one router can still find and then call the other router, as a backup). I managed to get the two routers (home and "remote") talking to each other. Both routers are RT-AC5300s running Merlin, just different builds.

I've set up each router to give out a different set of ip addresses. Home (address 192.168.2.1) gives out 192.168.2.2-192.168.2.199), while remote (address 192.168.2.201) gives out 192.168.2.202-192.168.2.254).

I can ping/reach devices via ip on both the local and remote sides by their ip addresses.

HOWEVER, when I go to the Network map on the home router (192.168.2.1), it ONLY shows me the local devices (anything with an ip address of 192.168.2.2-192.168.2.199). BUT when I go to the Network map on the remote router (192.168.2.202), it shows me EVERYTHING (both home and local devices, anything with an ip address between 192.168.2.1 and 192.168.2.254). When I go to the Network map "by interface" on the remote router, all the home devices are howing up as "wired" on the remote router's Network map. When I go to the Network may "by interface" on the home router, only the wired home devices are showing up as "wired" on the home router's Network map. The remote router's devices aren't showing up as "wired."

I'd like to be able to see the remote router's devices in my home routers Network map. Any ideas of what I need to configure? I assume this has something to do w/ advertising/polling/updating the device list in the Home router properly....?

I thought this might be something related to the Network map bug referenced here:

https://www.snbforums.com/threads/rt-ac86u-devices-on-network-map-keep-vanishing-reappearing.56120/

BUT, I'm running the latest build 384.11_2, and the Network map works fine for local devices, just not things on the other side of the VPN.

TLDR: How do I get the ip addresses of devices registered w/ a router on the other side of a OpenVPN tunnel to display on the network interface map of the local router?

See attached images.

 

[CaptainSTX]

You are set up in a double NAT situation even though both routers are in the same subnet. What you are seeing in that the home router can't see devices on the remote router is the standard operating mode as the remote router sees these request coming in on a WAN port and ignores them. Going the other direction remote - home, the home router sees these requests coming in on the LAN port and would connect you to the devices even if they were in a different subnet.

You will have to add a route in the routing table of the remote and maybe the home router to let you accomplish what you want and if you continue to have both routers in the same subnet it may be even more difficult.

I have never had much success with routing tables so one of the networking gurus on this forum will neec to offer you some suggestions.

 

[Pupster]

You are set up in a double NAT situation even though both routers are in the same subnet. What you are seeing in that the home router can't see devices on the remote router is the standard operating mode as the remote router sees these request coming in on a WAN port and ignores them. Going the other direction remote - home, the home router sees these requests coming in on the LAN port and would connect you to the devices even if they were in a different subnet.

You will have to add a route in the routing table of the remote and maybe the home router to let you accomplish what you want and if you continue to have both routers in the same subnet it may be even more difficult.

I have never had much success with routing tables so one of the networking gurus on this forum will neec to offer you some suggestions.

Thanks. I guess that the upgrade from 380.x.x to 384.x.x "fixed" the bug of showing devices on the remote side of the VPN tunnel locally. It probably is showing the local devices on the remote side of the tunnel because I haven't upgraded the remote machine yet (I don't want to, since at least the VPN is working and the remote machine is 1500 miles away.).

Hopefully some guru can weigh in. I don't mind running on a different subnet - I had originally had things running on the same subnet since I don't have a lot of devices, and there were certain games that required being on the same subnet to be able to play coop properly. I just don't know how to do the different subnets (yet), and if there is a relatively simple fix to show/advertise remote devices on my local network map, then I'd just rather just go that route, albeit, from your post, I get that this probably wouldn't be the "ideal" configuration.

 

[CaptainSTX]

While you are waiting for help on a routing solution is their some reason you can't use the second router as an AP? In the AP mode all devices regardless of what router they were connected to would be able to see and communicate with each other.

 

[Pupster]

While you are waiting for help on a routing solution is their some reason you can't use the second router as an AP? In the AP mode all devices regardless of what router they were connected to would be able to see and communicate with each other.

I guess I never considered that...it's just traditionally when I had set up OpenVPN (back in the days of DDWRT and a linksys router), I had configured it using TAP/putting on the same subnet. I get that my way probably isn't the most ideal, and I'm open to setting it up differently. I'm confused as to why it isn't set up as an AP now...are both routers by default in AP mode?

I'm searching around, but is there an easy "how to" that explains AP mode on two routers and setting up OpenVPN between them? I use to do a lot DDWRT Open VPN back in the day, but now I'm older, married...etc...

 

[CaptainSTX]

There is a detailed tutorial on this site explaining how to repurpose a router as an AP. What people commonly refer to as a WiFi router is in fact three devices (Router, Switch, AP). When you convert a router into an AP you disable the router function.

If both routers are in your home are connected by Ethernet cable why do you want/ need to establish an open VPN link between them?

 

[Pupster]

There is a detailed tutorial on this site explaining how to repurpose a router as an AP. What people commonly refer to as a WiFi router is in fact three devices (Router, Switch, AP). When you convert a router into an AP you disable the router function.

If both routers are in your home are connected by Ethernet cable why do you want/ need to establish an open VPN link between them?

Ahh...I can't repurpose as AP then. One router is 1500 miles away from the home router. Basically, my parents can easily browse my network shares/upload photos/etc, and I can easily port into any computers at their home to troubleshoot, etc. So, that's why there is a VPN. That's why it's frustrating not to be able to see the list of computers on my local router network map. I have to log into their router to view the network map.

 

[L&LD]

Ahh...I can't repurpose as AP then. One router is 1500 miles away from the home router. Basically, my parents can easily browse my network shares/upload photos/etc, and I can easily port into any computers at their home to troubleshoot, etc. So, that's why there is a VPN. That's why it's frustrating not to be able to see the list of computers on my local router network map. I have to log into their router to view the network map.

Use Manual Reservations on the DHCP Server page and then take a screen-shot, maybe even print it out.

 

[Pupster]

Use Manual Reservations on the DHCP Server page and then take a screen-shot, maybe even print it out.

haha...yeah i guess...:-/

doesn't get around the fact that devices are popping on and off all the time; would like to just have it "working" as it was before the upgrade....

 

[Pupster]

guess no gurus on a workaround eh?