HH5 Infinity VPN issues

Having some "interesting" issues trying to connect a laptop to the office via VPN and would appreciate any assistance.

If I connect via the home network, either wired or wifi, then without fail I get an error - host unreachable. Internet access is fine, it just wont connect to the VPN.

If, however, I connect via wifi to the BT WiFi with Fon network on the same HH5 then, once I've signed in to BT via a web browser, the VPN connects almost immediately.

Other than the network name and internal network IP range, no other settings have been changed on the HH5.

Hub version: BT Home Hub 5 (Type A) | Software version 4.7.5.1.83.8.204 | Last updated 22/01/15

Ideally, I'd want to connect via the home network (security) rather than the BT WiFi one (unsecured), but I can find no way to make it work.

Edited by deleted (Tue 17-Feb-15 18:00:34)

What VPN protocol are you using?

L2TP/IPSec

Hmm, that works for me sorry.

Thanks

Just wish it worked for me as well!

It must come down to a router setting, as it works on the BT WiFi with Fon, just not on the specific network.

I'd rather not factory reset it, given that all that was changed was network name and internal IP range.

Have you tried turning the firewall off? have you tried putting the PC in the DMZ?
There's a setting on the Homehub for VPN, tried that?

The LAN IP range does not just happen to be the same as the LAN IP range at the VPN end?

When you can't get VPN working there seems to be no one to turn to for definitive help and advice. I've personally found that once you are absolutely sure that you are providing the right credentials and it still won't connect, reducing the MTU is often a golden bullet and in some cases replacing freebie routers from the ISP with a better quality router does the trick.

On the client PC, have you remembered to configure the connection for the pre shared key for authentication? Easy to forget about this step.

You don't have Parental Controls enabled, do you?

Parental controls not set. IP range differs from the work network, VPN setting for UDP port on the router set.

As I said, it works fine using BT WiFi with Fon, it just refuses to connect from the home network.

BT = [censored] Terrible (where VPNs are concerned!)

DMZ makes no difference.

In reply to a post by Raedwald512:

Having some "interesting" issues trying to connect a laptop to the office via VPN and would appreciate any assistance.

If I connect via the home network, either wired or wifi, then without fail I get an error - host unreachable. Internet access is fine, it just wont connect to the VPN.

If, however, I connect via wifi to the BT WiFi with Fon network on the same HH5 then, once I've signed in to BT via a web browser, the VPN connects almost immediately.

Other than the network name and internal network IP range, no other settings have been changed on the HH5.

Hub version: BT Home Hub 5 (Type A) | Software version 4.7.5.1.83.8.204 | Last updated 22/01/15

Ideally, I'd want to connect via the home network (security) rather than the BT WiFi one (unsecured), but I can find no way to make it work.

Five paragraphs in your mailing so let's pick them off one by one.
1) OK let's see if my two penny worth helps.
2) Right then if you use the Command Prompt with ipconfig, what are the values for IPv4 address, Subnet Mask and Default Gateway? Do you get a response if you ping the remote site? Also use www.ipchicken.com to discovery what your WAN address is.
3) When connecting via BT Wifi your IPv4 address, Subnet Mask and Default Gateway will be different from 2) above. But is the WAN address different? Since you can establish VPN connection this suggests that the remote site might only accept connections from a know range of WAN addresses. Was there a requirement to supply your WAN address? If so you might need a fixed IP.
4) It might be the case that some ports on your HH5 might need to be opened when using your LAN. Seek advice elsewhere on that one please.
5) No comment.
6) But of course and it may well be the HH5 is stopping two way traffic by blocking incoming responses from the remote site onto your LAN. Since you seem to be absolutely sure that the credentials for connection are correct, would it not be possible to visit a neighbour/friend/whatever who does not use BT Internet and see if you can establish a VPN connection from their LAN? If it works there, then that's one box ticked as OK to move onto other diagnostics to determine actions to be taken.

It could be at the end of the day you may have to ditch the HH5 for another router but that means sourcing an Openreach modem if that is not part of your installation.

In the office I use BT Internet but have a Draytek 230vN via the Openreach modem and have no problem establishing a VPN connection from home using my LAN.