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You are here: MacNN Forums > Enthusiast Zone > Networking > Configuring a VPN: what to do if your ISP blocks the relevant ports?

Configuring a VPN: what to do if your ISP blocks the relevant ports?
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OreoCookie
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Feb 2, 2015, 03:15 PM
 
I have recently purchased a Synology NAS, and I'm very happy with it. The configuration was quite painless, and everything just works™ -- with the exception of the VPN. I think technically everything is in order: I configured portmapping correctly, and the PPTP VPN works if I connect to it from within my home's network. So it seems my ISP has blocked the respective ports (at least if I check with Network Utility, it states that the ports are closed). Is there anything I can do?

I would really like to access all my files in a secure fashion. On my iPhone, curiously, I can with a Synology app, but not on my Mac
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BLAZE_MkIV
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Feb 2, 2015, 06:06 PM
 
Have you setup port forwarding on the modem/router? If so then can you configure the port number?
     
OreoCookie  (op)
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Feb 2, 2015, 07:00 PM
 
Yes, I have configured port forwarding as well as VPN passthrough on my router. Since I can access my NAS's secure web interface via port 5001 from anywhere, I'm fairly certain port forwarding has been configured correctly, and the router is not the problem. Also, I have opened the ports in my NAS's firewall, and I double checked whether they are open (both, via Network Utility and the fact that I can access the PPTP server from home). The only things that are left is that these ports are blocked either by my ISP or my university.

Curiously, L2TP won't work, neither from home nor from another network.
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BLAZE_MkIV
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Feb 3, 2015, 09:25 AM
 
I strongly doubt you're ISP is blocking VPNs. Mail servers probably. You should be able to change the port number being used by the VPN to something in the 8000 range.
     
OreoCookie  (op)
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Feb 3, 2015, 12:52 PM
 
I just got confirmation that's it's not the university doing anything. Is there any way I can look at things more in depth? What log file should I be looking at, for instance?
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BLAZE_MkIV
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Feb 3, 2015, 07:39 PM
 
You could try forwarding port 1723 to port 5001 to see if you can access the web server. That will tell you if port 1723 is being blocked. If so you'd configure the router to forward 8765 to 1723 then set you're mac to use 8765 instead
     
OreoCookie  (op)
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Feb 4, 2015, 02:09 PM
 
I'll try that later tonight, thanks.
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ghporter
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Feb 10, 2015, 10:03 AM
 
Got an update for us yet, Oreo?

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OreoCookie  (op)
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Feb 16, 2015, 07:28 PM
 
Not really, on Synology's message boards, there is speculation that this may even be due to OS X's VPN client. What seems sure is that the L2TP ports are blocked, at least a port scan does not reveal that they are open. Basically, I am stuck. Some forum postings conjecture it has to do with OS X's VPN client, others think the problem lies with Synology's VPN client. I was busy with Valentine's Day last weekend, and couldn't really tinker. But I'll keep trying.
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iMOTOR
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Mar 8, 2015, 04:42 AM
 
What kind of router?
     
   
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