DD-WRT Router and Port Forwarding via AirVPN

[ronmchandler@gmail.com 0]

So I have a DD-WRT router running in Openvpn client mode via my Airvpn account.  I have setup forwarded ports in my airvpn account which work on my devices running their own airvpn client.  However, I can't get any open ports to forward through the router to my Windows machine running apps that need the open ports.  I've seen the notice on the help page for port forwarding:   " you can't reach your listening service(s) through the VPN server exit-IP address from the very same machine that's running it/them and is connected to a VPN server, or from any other machine connected to that same VPN server."  My interpretation of this statement is that my DD-WRT router running in vpn client mode, can't forward ports nor can my windows machine connected to my router access those ports.  I'm struggling to really understand this restriction and why it is so.  I have turned off all router and windows firewalls.  The only way I can use forwarded ports is to run a windows client on my windows machine, which defeats having a dedicated vpn router.  I have experimented over a month with commands for iptables using the router UI and other posts in the community to no avail.  I hate to give up, but I'm out of solutions.  Any simple answers and replies would be appreciated.  I'm tech savy but not a guru.

[OpenSourcerer 1435]

1 hour ago, jyams73@mail.com said:

you can't reach your listening service(s) through the VPN server exit-IP address from the very same machine that's running it/them and is connected to a VPN server, or from any other machine connected to that same VPN server.

If you host a website, that website cannot be reached via the exit IP by all machines connected to the same AirVPN server if you use the exit IP of that server (on the connected clients) to access your website.
 

1 hour ago, jyams73@mail.com said:

However, I can't get any open ports to forward through the router to my Windows machine running apps that need the open ports.

As long as you are not trying to forward a port to multiple clients you should be fine. Also note that you need to forward ports from the tun0 interface to your network since that's where connections to the public v4 end up.

[ronmchandler@gmail.com 0]

I'm not running a website on my windows machine.  I'm running an Emby server and a Plex server.  Very simple setup.  I've tried all kinds of iptable commands using tun0 to no avail.  Here's the issue.  Emby and Plex need an open port.  I have setup both in Airvpn and they work perfectly for remote access behind the windows vpn client.   However, without a windows client running, absolutely no commands found in this community have been able to achieve getting those ports forwarded through the DD-WRT router to my Emby and Plex servers for remote access use of Emby and Plex.

[Staff 9971]

@jyams73@mail.com

Hello!

If the listening services run in a machine not directly connected to the VPN, but behind a NAT created by some other device which runs OpenVPN (for example your DD-WRT router), do not forget to implement packet forwarding and prerouting on that device (for example the DD-WRT router) to the final, destination IP address(es) of your local network (I.e. the IP addresses of the machines in your local network running the listening services).

A specific guide for DD-WRT (and any other system that can run iptables) is here:
https://airvpn.org/forums/topic/9270-how-to-forward-ports-in-dd-wrt-tomato-with-iptables/

Kind regards