How do I set up the Vodafone router as a (L2TP) VPN server...

[davedotnet]

I'd like to be able to connect back into my network when I'm out and about. I have a static IP address, connected to a Vodafone broadband router/modem. I've tried setting up the router as a L2TP Server and enabled UDP 1701, 500 and 4500 on the firewall. Then to test it, I've configured an iPhone with the secret and credentials. But it just comes back with "The L2TP Server did not respond".

I dont know if the iPhone is the issue, that the ports are blocked, that the router doesn't support VPN...
I've also tried setting up my Unifi USG Pro in the router DMZ with the hope of terminating the VPN Server in there and that doesn't work either.
Does anyone know the state of VPN being able to terminate in the router ? Are the ports blocked ?

Thanks in advance

[Jayach]

If you have the latest router, the THG3000, you cannot set it up as a VPN server (or client).

I have never used the earlier router, but I believe it had some form of VPN setting, but I don't think it was ever very successful.

[davedotnet]

I probably should have mentioned the router model. Mine's a HHG2500 (Huawei 963168_HUAWEIVOX25) running Version 5.4.8.1.291.1.30.1.32.1.37.1.1. The VPN settings are under Settings / Configuration and scroll to bottom to find VPN Settings. It seems odd that the configuration options are there, but something prevents it working. I spent an hour with support yesterday and they insisted I had to enable Wifi in the router for it to work. I didn't take this advice. They also insisted that VPN works, and that L2TP is "the best version" and that they do not block any ports. I wasn't convinced about any of the above.

Does anyone know if;

1. L2TP ports are blocked by Vodafone
2. The router is incapable of supporting a L2TP VPN Server endpoint
3. The router can't support a device (Unifi USG Pro) in the DMZ supporting a L2TP VPN Server

If I understood which of the above was true/false I'd know where to focus my efforts. My suspicion is that 2&3 of the above is true.

[Anonymous]

Vodafone don't block any ports - those ports by the way are just identified as a number in the packet headers - there is no special sauce involved in this!

My understanding is that the only means to get a working VPN connection from the HHG2500 router is to connect it to another HHG2500 router.

Using DMZ does not fully do away with NAT (Network Address Translation), meaning that there is always the possibility of either the VF router, or the DMZed security router deciding to throw away perfectly good data.

If it's something you simply must have using the USG then your best bet would be to get a modem and your broadband service username and password.