Stefan Boos

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VPN Connection to Synology DS218+

Lessons learned

  • If you have a DS-Lite tunnel, then L2TP / IPSec does not work. Below you can find instructions for later, when mobile networks provide IPv6.
  • Though the VPN connection works for macOS, it does not work on iOS (iPad) using OpenVPN Connect (this information may be obsolete, it is dated December 2018)

Install OpenVPN and get the OpenVPN configuration file

  1. Install the VPN server with OpenVPN following the instructions (see Set up VPN Server).

    1. Activate the option [x] Clients den Server-LAN-Zugriff erlauben
      This will allow accessing the local network behind the VPN server

  2. Ensure that the user of the VPN server of the NAS has the user right to use OpenVPN. I have created a user named Vpn for that purpose and stored the password in my password safe. Note that the first letter must be capitalized on macOS.

  3. Download the OpenVPN configuration from the server using Konfigurationsdateien exportieren and unzip the openvpn.zip file.

  4. (optional): Rename the VPNconfig.ovpn to BoosRoesrath.ovpn (corresponds to the identifier I want to see in Tunnelblick)

  5. Edit the *.ovpn file and replace the word YOUR_SERVER_IP by the (dynamic) DNS address of your NAS (for me this is myhostname.synology.me)

VPN Client for macOS

  1. Install Tunnelblick

  2. Import the configuration file into Tunnelblick

  3. Connect

  4. Connecting works using LTE via T-Mobile
  5. As of July 9, 2021 Vodafone seemed not to support IPv6. The IPv4 address of my dynamic DNS server was shown in the connection logs.

VPN Client for iPad and iPhone

  1. Install OpenVPN Connect App for iOS

  2. Connect the device to your computer (iTunes or Finder) and locate the app ~OpenVPN Connect in Dateifreigabe (File share?)

  3. Drag and drop the configuration file BoosRoesrath.ovpn into that pane of iTunes

  4. After you have disconnected iTunes you can connect to your OpenVPN

Note:

If the connection cannot be established, then try rebooting the iPad.

References

L2TP / IPSec