Remote management of Windows PC through SoftEther

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Itemplate
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Apr 03, 2024 12:10 pm

Remote management of Windows PC through SoftEther

Post by Itemplate » Wed Apr 03, 2024 2:36 pm

Hi,

Let me start with my use-case. I have 2 computers (PC1 and PC2) both running Windows 10. I need an encrypted tunnel from PC1 to PC2. The goal is ultimately to connect from PC1 to PC2 using VNC and also transfer files between them - all through an encrypted tunnel. No access to network behind PC2 needed. No DNS required. I cannot use TCP so I opted for a VPN solution using UDP. Currently evaluating OpenVPN, SoftEther and Wireguard. It is important that the VNC/file transfer etc goes through the VPN tunnel (everything but the configured UDP ports are blocked).

I have now installed SoftEther server on PC2, and I have setup SecureNAT. I have enabled OpenVPN mode. I have configured my OpenVPN client on PC1 to only use UDP. I can connect just fine from PC1 to PC2 and I can ping the virtual adapter on the VPN network (192.168.30.1). This all looks promising, however, the virtual adapter in 192.168.30.1 does not list as an interface in Windows. This means that I can't listen on that IP from VNC for example.

Basically what I want is to securely connect from PC1 to PC2 using UDP and hit services on PC2. Is this use-case doable with SoftEther?

/Werner

solo
Posts: 1517
Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2021 10:31 am

Re: Remote management of Windows PC through SoftEther

Post by solo » Wed Apr 03, 2024 10:37 pm

In VNC enter PC2's LAN address not 192.168.30.1.

Itemplate
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Apr 03, 2024 12:10 pm

Re: Remote management of Windows PC through SoftEther

Post by Itemplate » Thu Apr 04, 2024 6:32 am

solo wrote:
Wed Apr 03, 2024 10:37 pm
In VNC enter PC2's LAN address not 192.168.30.1.
Say PC2 is 192.168.1.10 and I connect from OpenVPN to 192.168.1.10:1194. The VPN gives PC1 192.168.30.20 and PC2 is 192.168.30.1. There is no route changes for 192.168.1.0/24 after VPN connect. So needless to say, this does not work as the VNC connect towards 192.168.1.10:5900 does not try to go through the VPN.

Don't I need to somehow/somewhere add a route for 192.168.1.10/32 that goes though 192.168.30.1 (and I can't do that permanently on PC1 so it has to be something that is provided by the VPN connection)?

Thanks.

solo
Posts: 1517
Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2021 10:31 am

Re: Remote management of Windows PC through SoftEther

Post by solo » Thu Apr 04, 2024 7:57 am

3 options:
- restore SecureNAT default settings
- push a static route from SecureNAT
- set a persistent static route on PC1

Itemplate
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Apr 03, 2024 12:10 pm

Re: Remote management of Windows PC through SoftEther

Post by Itemplate » Thu Apr 04, 2024 9:35 am

Thanks, I've added the route in the NAT settings and it seems to do what I need. After PC1 connects I see the route changes in Windows and I can see the VNC port in the NAT session table in SoftEther - I guess if the connection pops up in there it is safe to say the traffic is going through the VPN right?

Thanks.

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