I’m calling it a band-aid fix, because this is technically not a “fix”. As far as I could find, it is technically not possible to use mDNS (Bonjour) over VPN. Only when the remote client is bridged through VPN mDNS packets can reach the client, but it causes its own havoc, especially less useful for home and small office environment as not all devices would support bridge mode. Apparently the problem itself, trying to reroute mDNS packets over VPN, is rather an obscure goal, and routers and its firmwares simply do not support such functionalities.
Tagged VPN
How to Test Proxy Servers from Remote Client
Normally a user can test the proxy server with any tools, —mine was Firefox until recently— but there is a time when more bare bone approach is needed —like when my Firefox started acting up. Jokes aside, it’s good to have an appropriate tool to test just the right subject, in which case the proxy server. Without further ado, let’s get straight to the point.
How to Band-aid Fix Intermittent Firefox Proxy Failures for VLAN
Before I get into details, if I have to fathom a guess based on what I’ve read so far, this is likely a bug on Firefox’s part. I’m not up to date with Firefox development and the priority lists they must have; but reading some of the other proxy plugins GitHub gave some ideas as to what could be the potential problems. I’ll add more details as I find more about it.
Raspberry Pi, VLAN, and Docker
A bit of rant while exploring different routes to host multiple OpenVPN clients on a single Raspberry Pi device. If you are a subscriber to paid VPN services, you would immediately know most services offer multiple server destinations. And you would also know, by following the previous post, that the said how-to only allows one connection to be made on one Pi board. While Pi is underpowered in terms of performance, it’s certainly enough to support multiple OpenVPN clients. That’s how the train wreck of a DIY project started.
How to Setup External Access of Home Devices
There is a problem with all IoT or smart home devices: external access. This is a problem that all users at some point have to ask themselves how they would like to approach it. What’s the point of having internet-enabled, sensor-filled, micro smart devices in each room, if none of them will respond soon as the user leaves the house?
How To Prepare VPN VLAN for Switch
In my previous post on how to setup VPN VLAN, I discussed the methodology of setting one for the first time. Now that it’s near Black Friday of 2024, some of the VPN providers have already started pre Black Friday sale in October. No doubt consumers are shopping for which service is right for their needs, and which one is the most affordable; it also means, you might be switching the provider entirely.
How to Setup VPN VLAN for Home
Not all countries run DPI, nor do all websites block people based off of region. I, for one, started building my own geoblock-proof setup since I moved to the new neighborhood about a decade ago. HomeDepot had this neighborhood IPs blocked. I don’t know what my ISP was thinking assigning blacklisted commercial IP to residential area, but I doubt this list and myriad others would be willing to update their list anytime soon.
Apple TV, VPN, and Geoblock Spiel
Anyone who is old enough to live through DVD era of human history and before that Paleolithic VHS period would recall something called region locks. It is an ancient ritualistic practice where contents holders would artificially divide the regions and lock the consumers out from playing them outside of said region. Historians believe the practice was to sell the same movie at a different price in a different market. I call it ritualistic, because with enough consumers agonizingly annoyed, most DVD players were willing to appease the buyers by dropping the region lock. Not to mention some consumers went the…