Spark Smart Modem 2 Open VPN setup

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sandysound

1 post

Wannabe Geek

#319152 27-Mar-2025 21:47

Struggling to setup a home based VPN, so I can still surf from NZ when travelling.

The Smart modem 2 has Open-VPN support, but I cannot get it working. I have used ipsec and other protocols before using asus routers, but this is another level of complexity for me. Following the step by step I get stuck.

I have a win11 machine, I have started the server on the modem, downloaded the config and user certificates, but I cannot figure out how to rename the tap profile name...

When I right click on the network adapter and select rename it does nothing, it is protected by the windows shield...

What am I doing wrong?

fe31nz

1228 posts

Uber Geek

#3358075 27-Mar-2025 23:57

If the Smart Modem 2 can do Wireguard, that is usually a better option than OpenVPN these days - it is much less complicated and generally runs a higher connection speed due to using encryption that is less CPU intensive. But Wireguard can only do layer 2 connections, so broadcast traffic will not get through - no automatic finding of SMB servers (Windows sharing) by name, only by IP address, and other such problems. I personally run OpenVPN on layer 3 on a Ubuntu box, and also a second OpenVPN server on layer 2 for my Android devices to connect to (Android does not have an option for layer 3 bridging). My laptop dual booting Windows 11 and Ubuntu connects to the layer 3 OpenVPN server, and gets IPv6 from the broadcast packets it receives over the VPN without having to have any IPv6 support in the OpenVPN setup.

Are you using the real OpenVPN client for Windows?

https://openvpn.net/client/client-connect-vpn-for-windows/

The last time I used it (maybe 5 years ago), my recollection is that the installer handled all the details, such as setting up the TUN or TAP interface and bridging.

lapimate

352 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3358211 28-Mar-2025 11:57

My 2023 experience was unsatisfactory. See Geekzone topic Spark Smart Modem 2 - OpenVPN built-in