ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 setup for Express VPN [Resolved]

[PhatAlBert]

Hi all,
I have just brought the above model ,maybe naively as it seems the firmware from ASUS and VPN support from service providers are still sketchy.

What I want to ascertain is will the Express VPN guide for the RT 5300 be sufficient? Or can anyone point me two a better setup guide? Apologies I am sure this has been covered but my mastery of Forums is right up there with my Router know how. Even better if/when I get stuck is there anyone here I could possibly ask advice of?

Thanks in advance,
Phat AlBert

[PhatAlBert]

:rolleyes: Got it working.

So my working setup is re-configuring the LAN address on my Draytek 120 Modem/Router(VDSL2) and then bridging it , establishing a connection to the ISP through the ASUS ROG RAPTURE GT-AC5300 then connecting using open VPN, when bridged I connect but my ISP remains the same, the trick is to ...... not be an idiot and understand how fusion works.
I'll take it on the chin and own up for my stupidity so no one else ever shares my pain again....ever ......ever..... you must make an exception rule and tell it which device to use with which VPN server in your server list before, its so obvious now and looks like a simple intuitive layout (for normal people), I am sure it explains too do this to if I bothered to read how fusion works in the manual?

Now for a plug to Nord VPN in a twist of irony to a thread labelled how to connect to Express VPN...I have no affiliation apart from just switching last night, Nord VPN for the same price offer 3 x the subscription (at the time of writing this), plus its their config open VPN files I can confirm working although I did connect to Express as mentioned in previos posts I just didnt create the exception ........ but the real reason as I obviously have more money than brains by getting myself into this mess, is their customer support they were 10/10, the guy last night was a champ when he obviously should have stayed on the canvas in the 8th round.. but he kept getting back up and trying again even though in the end he couldn't get it to work, he then passed me on to the lead tech team who started a case file and were all ready in contact with me requesting config info.

So now I guess its time to actually enjoy VPN instead of trying to set the @#*&! up!

[moooztar]

Hi guys,

ExpressVPN works 100% for me. There is however important to note that they have different issues with different nodes (server locations) from time to time where as you think your setup is wrong when it is on their side.

I use the manual config, download the ovpn file, and copy paste my user/psw and it connects fine in fusion.

I have also tested to add the following argument into the openvpn file before uploading: redirect-gateway def1. It did work for a while, and now it seems they have blocked this (obviously for traffic purposes).

Merlin firmware has one major key advantage to the stock firmware and that is the DNS setup they have which works in the exact same way as VPN fusion except you can add different DNS settings to your different clients. (If you need to unblock for example your local tv network which I have to do to be able to watch my tv channels from my cabin abroad).

I know merlin was not 100% ready for the ROG version of 5300 but it seems stable on the non-ROG version. Probably now stable on the ROG version as well, have a look.

The only major thing I really wish for is that they include the VPN fusion settings into their iOS app so I do not have to login by browser every time I need to tag a client on or off.

🙂

[decceptor]

When I connect to ExpressVPN my internet is gone. I have connection to the network but I can not work the interface of the router. I can log in and can not log in to VPN Fusion.

[MrAtoz]

My thanks for this post. I use IPVanish. I had this working before and then lost capability with the latest firmware. I downgraded to .20648 version but couldn't even ping after apply it. Your suggestion to replace the server with the actual IP fixed this. It was simple to find the server entry in IPVanish's opvn files and update the .COM entry.

I hope this helps others getting VPN Fusion working.

ROG2112 wrote:
I had the same problem with express and got the VPN Fusion to work as follows:

1) The OPVN file you download from express has the host name of a server for the location you chose followed by a port number (looks like "usaxxxxx.com"). You need to edit the file before uploading it to your AC5300 so that the host name is a numeric IP address corresponding to the .COM name. You can look up the ip using one of the tools like:

https://www.ultratools.com/tools/dnsLookup

multiple IP's will be returned...I have no idea which is the best, so I tried each one until I had a stable connect. You need to substitute the x.x.x.x IP for the .COM string in the OPVN file - edit it using notepad and save it making sure you save it with the .OPVN file extension. Then try uploading that and activating it. I would think if you did a chat session with express that they could give you the numeric IP of the .COM name.


2) make sure you use google DNS (8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4) for the WAN DNS in the AC5300 menu


3) if you lose power or reboot your AC5300, you need to reload the OPVN file...it is a pain but is the only way I have found to get express working again. Also, it takes a long time to bring up the VPN fusion page after a power cycle for some reason....like 2 minutes for me.


4) I use express for my default connection and main Internet for the exceptions. Another hassle is that I need to deactivate/activate each exception list entry after the OPVN upload to get my exception list entries to correct MTU and expected speeds from my main internet.


I just got this AC5300 for the VPN Fusion and am frustrated by the hassle to get express to work...but it does work once you get it going. I hope ASUS gets the kinks ironed out eventually for OPVN files from express so that it works without the edits. I signed up for various trials with different services and noticed that NORD worked without the edits......I looked at the NORD OPVN file and noticed it had the numeric IP which is why it worked right away.

For some reason, the .COM name is not able to resolve properly using express so either express needs to use the IP or ASUS needs to figure out how to resolve the .COM name properly.

Another thing I found is that express does not have a readily available list of its own DNS servers like NORD or google...the only way to use expressVPN DNS servers for privacy is to connect with their expressVPN software client. So even when using an express connection with Fusion, the web traffic lookups are still passed through the WAN DNS specified within the router settings.

I hope this makes some sense...good luck.

[tunakok]

MrAtoz wrote:
My thanks for this post. I use IPVanish. I had this working before and then lost capability with the latest firmware. I downgraded to .20648 version but couldn't even ping after apply it. Your suggestion to replace the server with the actual IP fixed this. It was simple to find the server entry in IPVanish's opvn files and update the .COM entry.

I hope this helps others getting VPN Fusion working.

I tried setting up ExpressVPN and it doesn't work for me at all...I have used this VPN for years and after switching to this router I cannot get it to work. *As soon as I set up NordVPN, it works right away.

I did downgrade to a different FW as someone suggested in some earlier posts and that did the trick but then what is the point of having to do that?? *You hope that newer FWs should make these issues a thing of the past...but that has not been the case so far.

[MasterC]

tunakok wrote:
I tried setting up ExpressVPN and it doesn't work for me at all...I have used this VPN for years and after switching to this router I cannot get it to work. *As soon as I set up NordVPN, it works right away.

I did downgrade to a different FW as someone suggested in some earlier posts and that did the trick but then what is the point of having to do that?? *You hope that newer FWs should make these issues a thing of the past...but that has not been the case so far.

Have you tried different ExpressVON servers? Which ones have you tried?

[tunakok]

ROG2112 wrote:
I had the same problem with express and got the VPN Fusion to work as follows:

1) The OPVN file you download from express has the host name of a server for the location you chose followed by a port number (looks like "usaxxxxx.com"). You need to edit the file before uploading it to your AC5300 so that the host name is a numeric IP address corresponding to the .COM name. You can look up the ip using one of the tools like:

https://www.ultratools.com/tools/dnsLookup

multiple IP's will be returned...I have no idea which is the best, so I tried each one until I had a stable connect. You need to substitute the x.x.x.x IP for the .COM string in the OPVN file - edit it using notepad and save it making sure you save it with the .OPVN file extension. Then try uploading that and activating it. I would think if you did a chat session with express that they could give you the numeric IP of the .COM name.


2) make sure you use google DNS (8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4) for the WAN DNS in the AC5300 menu


3) if you lose power or reboot your AC5300, you need to reload the OPVN file...it is a pain but is the only way I have found to get express working again. Also, it takes a long time to bring up the VPN fusion page after a power cycle for some reason....like 2 minutes for me.


4) I use express for my default connection and main Internet for the exceptions. Another hassle is that I need to deactivate/activate each exception list entry after the OPVN upload to get my exception list entries to correct MTU and expected speeds from my main internet.


I just got this AC5300 for the VPN Fusion and am frustrated by the hassle to get express to work...but it does work once you get it going. I hope ASUS gets the kinks ironed out eventually for OPVN files from express so that it works without the edits. I signed up for various trials with different services and noticed that NORD worked without the edits......I looked at the NORD OPVN file and noticed it had the numeric IP which is why it worked right away.

For some reason, the .COM name is not able to resolve properly using express so either express needs to use the IP or ASUS needs to figure out how to resolve the .COM name properly.

Another thing I found is that express does not have a readily available list of its own DNS servers like NORD or google...the only way to use expressVPN DNS servers for privacy is to connect with their expressVPN software client. So even when using an express connection with Fusion, the web traffic lookups are still passed through the WAN DNS specified within the router settings.

I hope this makes some sense...good luck.

Excellent work!!! *This finally has my ExpressVPN working! Thank you very much! *

[PhatAlBert]

I’m giving up, after trying a new modem and bridging it I can’t get it to connect to the VPN anymore and changing the LAN ip did nothing this time, I tried the above method and edited the scripts as described, i even got the ip off VPE but it connects but like before doesn’t actually mask my ip. Way too much work and way too much time already wasted, so I’m out of testing till ASUS make this a little more intuitive. Well done to anyone who got this to work.

[blazer5]

deceptor,
did you update your GT-AC5300 to FW ver. "3.0.0.4.384.21045 2018/06/01", if you did, that is why your internet is missing. This happened to me and many others after that update, Fusion VPN not working with this FW Version.

[titi71]

I confirm with this firmware Version 3.0.0.4.384.21045 the Internet connection stopping when i start vpn fusion.
And after it's difficult to join VPN FUSION html page.

Use Version 3.0.0.4.384.20648 instead but with the solution mentionned by ROG25112 05-21-2018 in this post.