OpenVPN doesn’t works with TCP

openvpnvpn

I am trying to configure openvpn, I used a config and certificate/key example that comes with OpenVPN. It works perfectly when I use with UDP but it doesn't works with TCP

server-tls.conf

# OpenVPN config "server-tls.conf"
#
# test using: openvpn –-config server-tls.conf

proto tcp #default
dev tun   #default
port 8080 #default
management 127.0.0.1 8080

# Tunnel IP-number plan:
# network: 10.4.0.0/24    all tunnel-endpoints (TEPs)
# IP:      10.4.0.1       server
# IP:      10.4.0.2       server   p2p address (not-used)
# IP:      10.4.0.5       client-1 p2p address (not-used)
# IP:      10.4.0.6       client-1
# IP:      10.4.0.9       client-2 p2p address (not-used)
# IP:      10.4.0.10      client-2
# IP:      10.4.0.13      client-3 p2p address (not-used)
# IP:      10.4.0.14      client-3
# etc...                  This setup allows (2^(32-24)/4)-1=63 clients

server 10.4.0.0 255.255.255.0 # the server Tunnel-IP will be .1

# Maintain a record of client <-> virtual IP address
# associations in this file.  If OpenVPN goes down or
# is restarted, reconnecting clients can be assigned
# the same virtual IP address from the pool that was
# previously assigned.
ifconfig-pool-persist ipp.txt

# The 'server' command also established a pool of Tunnel-IPs for the clients (like DHCP)

#route 10.4.0.0 255.255.255.0 # this command is implicit with 'server' command

cd /etc/openvpn/
log /var/log/openvpn.log

ca       ca.crt
cert     server.crt
key      server.key
dh       dh1024.pem
tls-auth ta.key 0 # Use 0=server, 1=client

verb 3
keepalive 10 60
persist-tun
persist-key
persist-local-ip
comp-lzo

duplicate-cn # needed if all clients use same client.crt/key

# Uncomment following line if you want to allow client-to-client traffic:
# (dont use this option if you want to filter the client-to-client packets via iptables)
#client-to-client

#push "route 10.4.0.0 255.255.255.0" # this is done automatically with client-to-client command (else do specify)

# end of "server-tls.conf"

client-tls.conf

# OpenVPN config "client-tls.conf"
#
# run with: openvpn –config client-tls.conf

proto tcp #default
dev tun   #default
client
remote x.x.x.x 8080

#cd /etc/openvpn/
#log /var/log/openvpn.log
#log openvpn.log

ca       ca.crt
cert     client.crt
key      client.key
tls-auth ta.key 1 # Use 0=server, 1=client

# Verify that we are connected with the correct server:

tls-remote "Test-Server"
ns-cert-type    server

nobind
verb 3
keepalive 10 60
comp-lzo
explicit-exit-notify 2

# end of "client-tls.conf"

Server log:

cat /var/log/openvpn.log
Tue Dec 11 17:36:18 2012 OpenVPN 2.2.0 x86_64-linux-gnu [SSL] [LZO2] [EPOLL] [PKCS11] [eurephia] [MH] [PF_INET6] [IPv6 payload 20110424-2 (2.2RC2)] built on Jul  4 2011
Tue Dec 11 17:36:18 2012 MANAGEMENT: TCP Socket listening on [AF_INET]127.0.0.1:8080
Tue Dec 11 17:36:18 2012 WARNING: --ifconfig-pool-persist will not work with --duplicate-cn
Tue Dec 11 17:36:18 2012 NOTE: the current --script-security setting may allow this configuration to call user-defined scripts
Tue Dec 11 17:36:18 2012 Diffie-Hellman initialized with 1024 bit key
Tue Dec 11 17:36:18 2012 WARNING: file 'server.key' is group or others accessible
Tue Dec 11 17:36:18 2012 WARNING: file 'ta.key' is group or others accessible
Tue Dec 11 17:36:18 2012 Control Channel Authentication: using 'ta.key' as a OpenVPN static key file
Tue Dec 11 17:36:18 2012 Outgoing Control Channel Authentication: Using 160 bit message hash 'SHA1' for HMAC authentication
Tue Dec 11 17:36:18 2012 Incoming Control Channel Authentication: Using 160 bit message hash 'SHA1' for HMAC authentication
Tue Dec 11 17:36:18 2012 TLS-Auth MTU parms [ L:1544 D:168 EF:68 EB:0 ET:0 EL:0 ]
Tue Dec 11 17:36:18 2012 Socket Buffers: R=[87380->131072] S=[16384->131072]
Tue Dec 11 17:36:18 2012 TCP/UDP: Socket bind failed on local address [undef]: Address already in use
Tue Dec 11 17:36:18 2012 Exiting

Client log:

Options error: --explicit-exit-notify can only be used with --proto udp
Use --help for more information.

Why it doesn't work in TCP mode?

Best Answer

The server log is very clear on why it's not working.

TCP/UDP: Socket bind failed on local address [undef]: Address already in use

You've got something else running on that combination of protocol/port. You can take a look what it is by doing netstat -nlp | grep 1234 (change port number accordingly) and kill that process or move that to another port.