Slate Plus (GL-A1300): how to start and stop OpenVPN client at the command line?

Technical Support for Routers
1

Hello,

I have two Glinet routers running OpenWrt 18.x or 19.x based firmware:

GL-MT300N-V2
GL-USB150

To manage these routers, I never connect to the web interface but I use scripts that allow me to send commands remotely from my computers.

Recently I purchased a Slate Plus router (GL-A1300) which works with firmware based on OpenWrt 21.x.
OpenVPN client management is no longer the same, it is very different, there is something called “VPN client instance”. :face_with_spiral_eyes:

What are the commands to start and stop the OpenVPN client with the default ovpn conf file?

To start the OpenVPN client:

Before: uci set glconfig.openvpn.enable='1' && uci commit glconfig && /etc/init.d/startvpn restart
Now   : uci set network.ovpnclient.disabled='0' && uci commit network && some commands (???)

To stop the OpenVPN client:

Before: uci set glconfig.openvpn.enable='0' && uci commit glconfig && /etc/init.d/startvpn stop
Now   : uci set network.ovpnclient.disabled='1' && uci commit network && some commands (???)

To start the OpenVPN client the following command does not work:

uci set network.ovpnclient.disabled='0' && uci commit network && openvpn --config '/etc/openvpn/profiles/67789/Germany2.ovpn'

Thank you in advance for your help. :nerd_face:

Regards

2

Enable your vpn from the web interface, then issue this command from an ssh:

ps -w

Look at the result you will see the OpenVPN command used to start the tunnel.

3

@SpitzAX3000 thank you for the tip.
With ps -w I have found the following command:

/usr/sbin/openvpn --syslog ovpnclient --dev ovpnclient --dev-type tun --route-delay 2 --route-noexec --wr

Unfortunately this command isn’t sufficient for etablishing a VPN connection.
On the VPN dashboard, I have the message “The client is starting, please wait…” and nothing happen.

Regards

4

You’re right! There was recent changes in the latest firmware.

To achieve what you are looking for, please execute:

uci set firewall.ovpnclient.enabled='1'
uci set firewall.ovpnclient2wan.enabled='1'
uci set firewall.lan2ovpnclient.enabled='1'
uci set firewall.guest2ovpnclient.enabled='1'
uci set network.ovpnclient.disabled='0'
ubus -v call network reload && ubus -v call network.interface.ovpnclient up

To verify the interface is up:
ifconfig ovpnclient

And to list all supported methods for the ovpnclient interface:

# ubus -v list network.interface.ovpnclient
'network.interface.ovpnclient' @84a47755
	"up":{}
	"down":{}
	"renew":{}
	"status":{}
	"prepare":{}
	"dump":{}
	"add_device":{"name":"String","link-ext":"Boolean","vlan":"Array"}
	"remove_device":{"name":"String","link-ext":"Boolean","vlan":"Array"}
	"notify_proto":{}
	"remove":{}
	"set_data":{}

The above commands work on my X3000 modem with latest firmware: 0405release1

You may need also to restart the firewall to take effect, although I haven’t tested it:

ubus -v call firewall reload
ubus -v call firewall restart

1 Like
5

@SpitzAX3000 Thank you very much for the commands. :wink:

After a lot of checking, here the best way I have found for starting and stopping the OpenvPN client on the Slate Plus:

For starting the client:

uci set firewall.@forwarding[0].enabled='0'
uci set firewall.wan_in_conn_mark.enabled='1'
uci set firewall.lan_in_conn_mark_restore.enabled='1'
uci set firewall.out_conn_mark_restore.enabled='1'
uci set firewall.swap_wan_in_conn_mark.enabled='1'
uci set firewall.@forwarding[1].enabled='0'
uci set firewall.ovpnclient.enabled='1'
uci set firewall.ovpnclient2wan.enabled='1'
uci set firewall.lan2ovpnclient.enabled='1'
uci set firewall.guest2ovpnclient.enabled='1'
/etc/init.d/firewall reload
uci set network.ovpnclient.disabled='0'
ubus -v call network reload
ubus -v call network.interface.ovpnclient up

For stopping the client:

uci set network.ovpnclient.disabled='1'
ubus -v call network.interface.ovpnclient down
ubus -v call network reload
uci set firewall.@forwarding[0].enabled='1'
uci set firewall.wan_in_conn_mark.enabled='0'
uci set firewall.lan_in_conn_mark_restore.enabled='0'
uci set firewall.out_conn_mark_restore.enabled='0'
uci set firewall.swap_wan_in_conn_mark.enabled='0'
uci set firewall.@forwarding[1].enabled='1'
uci set firewall.ovpnclient.enabled='0'
uci set firewall.ovpnclient2wan.enabled='0'
uci set firewall.lan2ovpnclient.enabled='0'
uci set firewall.guest2ovpnclient.enabled='0'
/etc/init.d/firewall reload

The following commands do not exist on the Slate Plus:

ubus -v call firewall reload
ubus -v call firewall restart

Regards

1 Like