Internet stops when OPENVPN client is stuck "starting"

Technical Support for Routers VPN, DNS, Leaks
1

HI Folks - very happy new MT3000 customer so far with latest firmware.

Installed at cottage as primary router and OpenVPN connection back to house where i run OpenVPN Server. Got the OpenVPN client working connecting back to house OpenVPN server and able to reach subnets back and forth no issue.

I discovered a new issue which is serious and could leave the cottage network "hung". When my internet modem rebooted at cottage, the GLNET was left "trying to start" the OVPN client. Even after the internet came back, the OVPN cleint starting persisted and ALL INTERNET access was blocked. Once i hit "disable" on the VPN, internet came back to life. I then did a manual renable and the VPN the OVPN connection came back up.

Help needed: i can't have cottage Internet access be reliant on the VPN start up. I have checked and NO cottage traffic routes through the VPN so it shouldn't care if VPN is stuck. I am only routing the destination subnet at house through the VPN tunnel.

THank you!

2

Ok I have a bit more to share on this. It is the DNS that stops working during this "hung VPN" state. So i can ping 8.8.8.8 no problem but can't resolve any domain names until i manually reset the VPN.

I noticed in the VPN log, it too is unable to resolve the DNS name of the house VPN so it sits there looping. Bizarre that this would happen? bug?

3

That should be an issue by design because it will try to avoid DNS leakage if the VPN isn't ready yet.
Disabling the VPN will not only disconnect it but will disable all rules regarding VPN as well.

4

I figured it out. The DNS settings were set to "Auto" which included 192.168.1.1 (Nokia 5G modem) and 192.168.2.1 (Router on other side of VPN).

I moved it from automatic to manual and pointed to Google DNS servers. Low and behold, everything recovers perfectly as expected.

Very strange issue to begin with.

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