OpenVPN and Verizon Westell DSL router

Depending on what you think I mean by the title...it works.

No I am not using OpenVPN on the Verizon router...but I am able to via a WiFi connection through the router.

I know...you are thinking 'well duh, that is what it is for' and you would be right.

HOWEVER,

My home network has been on the 192.168.1.x address group since forever (sometime in the late 90's). Most of my hardware has static IP addresses to make my life easier when trying to remote administer them (printers, webcams, NASs). So if I wanted to change the network address to a 162 or a 10 it would be a major PITA.

Fast forward to today. I just got Verizon DSL hooked up at my 'satellite work site'. It is $18 a month for the slower than 1mps connection...but that is all I need. With the current deal it comes with their Westell 7500 WiFi router.

I set it up with the defaults, enabled the WPA security, and jointed the internets. Next test was to start up OpenVPN and access my home network.

Well it would log in after a while, but a little bit after that the web access on this end would drop. Skype stayed connected, email still worked, but no HTTP:.

The one person who has read this blog probably can figure out the problem. The default IP address on the router and its network is 192.168.1.1. My home IP address is 192.168.1.x. When OpenVPN logs in, it tunnels my 192.168.1.x laptop IP to a virtual 10.x.x.x and then the router puts it back on the home network and routes that virtual 10.x address to a network address 192.168.1.x.

The conflict is that the computer doesn't know where to look...home network or internet (remember I used port 80 for the VPN).

The fix is shorter than the problem...I simply changed the IP address of the Verizon router...and the DHCP list...and shut the router down, and restarted it.

So let that be a lesson to you...have your home network on some obscure ip address so you don't get conflicts.

But it works great now.