Untangle OpenVPN NetBios Names

[JoelM]

I am setting up OpenVPN on a Untangle unit. The network I am connecting to is using a Windows 10 machine for the network share, no domain involved.
Is there a easy way to have the user connect to the file share via the NetBios name? I can connect using the IP Address across the VPN but not the computer name.
I do know I can create a entry in the hosts file of the remote machine but it would be nice to not have to worry about doing this every time I setup a new client.

 

[trevm999]

I think you're going to want to do DNS name. If you configure DNS suffixes, then it would seem like you're using NetBIOS name.

OpenVPN can push DNS server IPs to clients for the connection. I assume Untangle is acting as the DNS server?

 

[JoelM]

I think you're going to want to do DNS name. If you configure DNS suffixes, then it would seem like you're using NetBIOS name.

OpenVPN can push DNS server IPs to clients for the connection. I assume Untangle is acting as the DNS server?

Yes Untangle is the DNS server. I'm not sure what you are referring to about the DNS suffixes however.

 

[bdoggman]

Did you use the vpn profile/node?

 

[JoelM]

Did you use the vpn profile/node?

I'm not sure what this is referring to. Could you describe what you mean?

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Look in this thread, where Skye talks about Untangle and DNS and has a few screenies, specifically post 6
https://www.technibble.com/forums/threads/unifi-switch-on-2nd-lan.83643/

Since you're a workgroup, you're likely using Untangle for DHCP, so it's really easy to convert dynamic IP leases to DHCP reservations..and then make your DNS host names such as in post 6 in above link.

 

[Sky-Knight]

Yeah, as you've seen name resolution over VPN doesn't work by default. That's because Untangle's OpenVPN is ROUTED, and broadcasts from the client won't make it to the LAN network for interpretation. This breaks every automated discovery system ever made. The only way to fix this, is via DNS.

Step one, check config -> network -> hostname, and make sure the domain name field matches what's in apps -> OpenVPN -> Settings -> Server -> Groups -> Default Group -> Edit. Or whatever group you're using. The key here is the group needs to have Push DNS enabled, and the Push DNS Name needs to match the hostname field above.

This:

Needs to match this:



Untangle's DHCP service will automatically register any hostname provided by the DHCP client with the DNS service for resolution. You can see the current list of hostnames for clients in config -> network -> DHCP Server -> Current DHCP Leases.

I believe the default configuration pushes Untangle for DNS for OpenVPN clients. But this only enables the FQDN to resolve, not the short name. That's the disconnect from where you are, to where you want to be. DNS is the thing to resolve names, relying on broadcasts for anything actually causes problems on modern networks. Get DNS straight, and more than just Windows machines can resolve names.