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+--- Thread: Jellyfin server behind VPN enabled router? (/t-jellyfin-server-behind-vpn-enabled-router)
Jellyfin server behind VPN enabled router? - Ilikemesomejellys - 2023-10-14
Hi everyone, thank you for having me here & I hope someone can help.
I have tried to figure this out on my own for the past month and I am just about to give up and so I wanted to address my concern here.
I am wanting to install Jellyfin server on a mac and have the TVs and other connected devices within my home have the ability to connect to it and watch the content from server.
I do not want to open up my network so that it is available outside my home network as I am only wanting to use it while at home.
I have a VPN installed at router level so that I do not have to install VPN apps on all devices and also so that it covers the TVs where the VPN apps cannot be installed.
I believe this is the issue and why I am having trouble having the server being found on the home network.
Can someone please tell me how it is possible to keep my current setup but also have the Jellyfin server being recognised and accesible?
Thank you very much
RE: Jellyfin server behind VPN enabled router? - TheDreadPirate - 2023-10-14
Having the VPN on the router does not negate the need to have the VPN installed on all clients. How would the client know how to connect if the client does not have the VPN client running?
I also have a VPN hosted on my router (for server admin stuff, not for Jellyfin) and I definitely need to have the client running on my phone.
RE: Jellyfin server behind VPN enabled router? - Deleted User - 2023-10-14
(2023-10-14, 01:12 PM)Ilikemesomejellys Wrote: I believe this is the issue and why I am having trouble having the server being found on the home network.
the router is probably changing the gateway used by the clients
see if manually adding the server works, it may force LAN if you tell a client to connect to a local IP but if you expect it to route there on it's own it's going to fail because it's trying to send traffic to the VPN instead
if manual connection does not work then your VPN router is negating the function of a LOCAL LAN and you will need to run 2 networks
LAN1 allows normal LAN activities but has it's internet gateway set to LAN2 which would be the VPN router
RE: Jellyfin server behind VPN enabled router? - TheDreadPirate - 2023-10-14
Also, when you do setup the clients, you need to ensure that the subnet that the clients are on are added to the Internal networks config.
RE: Jellyfin server behind VPN enabled router? - Ilikemesomejellys - 2023-10-14
Thank you for getting back to me. Please excuse my lack of knowledge here.
Since I have had my vpn ( Nord VPN ) on the router if i check the ip address on any connected device it all shows the same vpn ip address and this is without having any other vpn apps on these devices so can you please explain what you mean by "
Having the VPN on the router does not negate the need to have the VPN installed on all clients. How would the client know how to connect if the client does not have the VPN client running?"
I just really dont know how this stuff works and it seems like the more i try and understand the more confused I get. Thank you
(2023-10-14, 02:55 PM)TheDreadPirate Wrote: Having the VPN on the router does not negate the need to have the VPN installed on all clients. How would the client know how to connect if the client does not have the VPN client running?
I also have a VPN hosted on my router (for server admin stuff, not for Jellyfin) and I definitely need to have the client running on my phone.
RE: Jellyfin server behind VPN enabled router? - Ilikemesomejellys - 2023-10-14
(2023-10-14, 03:03 PM)000 Wrote:(2023-10-14, 01:12 PM)Ilikemesomejellys Wrote: I believe this is the issue and why I am having trouble having the server being found on the home network.
the router is probably changing the gateway used by the clients
see if manually adding the server works, it may force LAN if you tell a client to connect to a local IP but if you expect it to route there on it's own it's going to fail because it's trying to send traffic to the VPN instead
if manual connection does not work then your VPN router is negating the function of a LOCAL LAN and you will need to run 2 networks
LAN1 allows normal LAN activities but has it's internet gateway set to LAN2 which would be the VPN router
Can you please tell me how to check if the router is changing the gateway and are the clients the tvs that are trying to steam from the server?
When i setup the server i think i did everything manually.
By two networks do you mean two seperate SSID names on the same router?
SOrry this is all very new to me and I am trying my best.
Thank you!
RE: Jellyfin server behind VPN enabled router? - Deleted User - 2023-10-14
apologies i mistook your use of a VPN router as the ability to assume admin level control of your network and devices
i lack the language and ability to explain how to do advanced level networking nor can i afford the time to hold a lecture on the subject
additionally, it would also exceed the scope of this forum
again, sincere apologies but the best i can recommend is disable the VPN router to allow your local clients to work as they should
RE: Jellyfin server behind VPN enabled router? - TheDreadPirate - 2023-10-14
I assumed you meant that you used a VPN so that external clients could connect to your local only Jellyfin.
It sounds like you have something like this setup. Where you are configuring your router to be a Nord VPN client.
https://support.nordvpn.com/Connectivity/Router/1047410472/Tomato-setup-with-NordVPN.htm
Turn this off. If you have it setup so that all your local clients have to go through your VPN, that is not going to work. Because your VPN is probably routing everything OUTSIDE of your network, they have no way of coming back in.
If I understand your desired configuration correctly, you should be configuring your router to be a VPN SERVER. All your local clients in your home network will behave as normal. Can connect to local devices and use the Internet as usual. But you would need to setup a VPN client on your phones and laptops that travel so that you can connect to the VPN server running on your router.