[lug] Wanted: Help with openvpn

[David L. Anselmi]

siegfried wrote:
[...]
> My present LAN is 10.169.0.0 with netmask 255.255.0.0. (I chose this
> to avoid conflicts with other common LANs at 192.168.0.0 and 10.0.0.0
> that are commonly used at internet cafes like Cafe Sole). This is what
> my router understands. Now if I tell openvpn to use something outside
> that range, maybe 10.170.0.0 with netmask of 255.255.0.0, then they
> won't conflict. 

You didn't say but it seems obvious that your router is your VPN server. 
  You didn't show its routing table but take a look at it (in route mode 
when your ping isn't working, if you like).

> Now are you telling me that if openvpn dreams up an address of
> 10.170.1.100 that I will be able to ping it from 10.169.1.8 (my
> desktop machine)? And I will be able to ping 10.170.1.100 from
> 10.169.1.8?

You tell me.  What are the routes?  You can follow the packets from 
machine to machine using the routing table.

The desktop can reach the router, the router can reach the desktop and 
client, and the client can reach the router.  So as long as the router 
forwards the answer is yes.

Dave