Vodafone home fibre broadband VPN setting

[seblb]

Help! I have been trying to get this to work and given up becuase Vodafone are hiding important connection details. The config I want use is the L2TP Server VPN on the Vodafine Connect Broadband Router. The settings in the router are simple enough (cool! 🐵 but getting a client to connect to it is impossible (unless it is another Vodafone HHG2500 Broadband router). So here is what I have done:

1) Setup the router's L2TP Server VPN configuration (set shared key, user and password, etc)

2) Configured and OSx and iOS client to connect on L2TP (settings quite straight forward) but both fail. The only debug details I was able to get was from the OSX connection that failed on "L2TP sent SCCRQ" - I also have the wireshark dumps from the client and router.

3) Setup other VPN clients, but no success

I spoke to the vodafone live chat team (not a great experience, so unless there is an expert there I can chat to, please do not direct me back there Vodafone). The experience was as follows (I have the chat transcript if you want it):

1) Told "since few days we are facing issues with the application, However our engineers are working to fix this"

 - I told them that "VPN" was router hardware related and not a "service" (sigh)

2) I was then directed to change my wifi setting

 - I told them the wifi had nothing to do with VPN (sigh)

3) I was then told I had to have a business account for the VPN to work

- I told them that if I plugged in my draytek router, the VPN worked so it had nothing to do with that. This was the final sitcking point and they would not budge. Form my point of view this was the only thing they could use to get rid of me, as they didnt know what they were talking about.

Since then I have discovered if you have 2 people on Vodafone with their routers (both my father in law and I are on vodafone). One setup and L2TP server and the other L2TP client. They happily connect!

Therefore, the statement that VPN is business only is also not true. Therefore there is some odd setting that a L2TP client needs to do to connect to a Vodafone HHG2500. What is this? Please can someone from Vodafone provide a faultless configuration for a client so the rest of the community can do the rest for you?

The reason I am not able to use my Vodafone router is becuase I use a draytek so I can VPN into my office (also draytek). This additional VPN config is to connect to my father in laws home to assist on all things IT. I therefore need some form of VPN client that can connect to a Vodafone Router running the L2TP VPN server. :o(

[VFCustomer911]

It would be as well to remove the feature from the router Admin or explicitly remove it from support.

People should understand they are paying for consumer grade broadband. Even if it was a business line you would need to pay an IT expert to set up a hardware based VPN.

It's been a while since I was active on this thread but my approach now would be to buy a new router, ensuring it has good support for VPN. A current Draytek model with dial-out VPN capability should be fine. Forget about dial-in with bog standard consumer broadband. If you don't understand that much then you'll need to hire an IT professional. I don't think it's fair to expect the support team to know about all this stuff for £20-odd quid a month fibre and a free router. The free routers that are supplied are not great at doing anything other than providing basic connectivity and WiFi. Maybe a few extra features bolted on to make it look good but it's all for show. 

[Jayach]

I have the latest THG3000 router and there are no options for VPN client or server (nor would I expect there to be).

I am surprised if the earlier ones did.

[VFCustomer911]

There was a VPN setting somewhere on a previous Vodafone router. I must have seen it as I vaguely remember getting involved in this discussion to see if I could make use of it to connect to my work VPN.

However I have got a new router from Vodafone since then and it doesn't seem to have the setting, having just checked.

Instead, I use Draytek Smart VPN Client for Windows. Essentially this bipasses the need for any special router if you set it up correctly. 

I can also connect to it virtually anywhere, regardless of what network I am on.

[WullieJIrvine]

Hi all - I have just started using the Vodafone 900mbps service and cannot find anywhere on the router to add a VPN service.

Can someone please advise me on how to do this as I am completely confused.

Thanks,

Wullie

[Jayach]

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@WullieJIrvine wrote:

Hi all - I have just started using the Vodafone 900mbps service and cannot find anywhere on the router to add a VPN service.

Can someone please advise me on how to do this as I am completely confused.

Thanks,

Wullie

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You can't find it because there isn't anywhere. To run a VPN (successfully) on the router would need a considerably better device.

Just what are you requiring the VPN for. Do you already have a VPN provider?

[WullieJIrvine]

I already have a provider and it is to view some shows from America that we once watched when there and cannot view due to geolocation.

I already have a better router but not sure how to use both or can I just use my own router as the main 1?

Thanks for quick reply

Wullie

[Jayach]

For what you want, most people run the VPN client on the device rather than the router.

You should be able to run your own router no problem, you will just need your credentials from Vodafone. Live chat is the easiest way to get them, https://www.vodafone.co.uk/bbservcd/

Are you on Openreach or CityFibre?

[WullieJIrvine]

We are through CityFibre.

Yeah I will get the details. I also use my PC as a gaming machine. The reason I want the VPN on the router is that we have so many devices connected to the router and my partner works from home. I just want to ensure that his work is protected best I can.

Thanks again for all your help.

Wullie

[Jayach]

As you are on CityFibre you will probably need the VLAN, which is 911, in case they don't give it to you.

Edit: @WullieJIrvine I should just add, if you use your own router you will lose the landline. Hopefully Vodafone will release the VoIP details so you can use them on your own equipment one day.

[CrimsonLiar]

@Jayach is spot on with his posts on this.  One thing I'd add though is that the security abilities of VPNs are greatly exaggerated!  A VPN will not prevent third-party access to a badly setup network - it actually adds an additional vector of attack through the tunnel!