Help with running Core behind a VPN

[calkob]

HI can anyone help me get my core node running?  ever since i started using PureVpn it cant receive incoming connections.  i have signed up to their NAT firewall and have a dedicated IP, which is ment to allow me to open ports but even when i do open 8333 core still has no incoming connections. 

as i am running the vpn and i use listener.exe i get this "tcp Port 8333 - Address already in use: Only one usage of each socket address (protocol/network address/port) is normally permitted"  so something is going on but i cant work out what is wrong.

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[kolloh]

HI can anyone help me get my core node running?  ever since i started using PureVpn it cant receive incoming connections.  i have signed up to their NAT firewall and have a dedicated IP, which is ment to allow me to open ports but even when i do open 8333 core still has no incoming connections. 

as i am running the vpn and i use listener.exe i get this "tcp Port 8333 - Address already in use: Only one usage of each socket address (protocol/network address/port) is normally permitted"  so something is going on but i cant work out what is wrong.

The "tcp Port 8333 - Address already in use" error means you have two applications trying to listen on the same port. Is listener.exe part of PureVPN or what is it's purpose? Core should be listening on that port so you shouldn't need to use another app to listen on that port. You already have port 8333 open and forwarded through PureVPN, correct?

[calkob]

HI can anyone help me get my core node running?  ever since i started using PureVpn it cant receive incoming connections.  i have signed up to their NAT firewall and have a dedicated IP, which is ment to allow me to open ports but even when i do open 8333 core still has no incoming connections. 

as i am running the vpn and i use listener.exe i get this "tcp Port 8333 - Address already in use: Only one usage of each socket address (protocol/network address/port) is normally permitted"  so something is going on but i cant work out what is wrong.

The "tcp Port 8333 - Address already in use" error means you have two applications trying to listen on the same port. Is listener.exe part of PureVPN or what is it's purpose? Core should be listening on that port so you shouldn't need to use another app to listen on that port. You already have port 8333 open and forwarded through PureVPN, correct?

I am guessing that bitcoin core is listening on that port already and that is why listener.exe (its an app to check ports) is giving that reply.  I have set the settings on purevpn to open port 8333 but still core is not finding incoming connections.

[kolloh]

I am guessing that bitcoin core is listening on that port already and that is why listener.exe (its an app to check ports) is giving that reply.  I have set the settings on purevpn to open port 8333 but still core is not finding incoming connections.

Does Bitcoin Core accept connections without the VPN in place? Are you using a router and do you have port forwarding enabled for port 8333 to the correct local IP address?

[calkob]

I am guessing that bitcoin core is listening on that port already and that is why listener.exe (its an app to check ports) is giving that reply.  I have set the settings on purevpn to open port 8333 but still core is not finding incoming connections.

Does Bitcoin Core accept connections without the VPN in place? Are you using a router and do you have port forwarding enabled for port 8333 to the correct local IP address?

yes, i have been running a node for over a year, port 8333 is open and i get incoming connections.  its only when i start the vpn that it stops,  i was using a dedicated IP and NAT Firewall, so i dont know whats wrong.   

[cloverme]

Maybe its an order of operations issue... have you tried starting the vpn before core? My guess is that there's some split tunneling happening and it's detecting the open port on your other network interface or loopback.

[kolloh]

Maybe its an order of operations issue... have you tried starting the vpn before core? My guess is that there's some split tunneling happening and it's detecting the open port on your other network interface or loopback.

Oh yeah that is a good point. If Core was started before starting the VPN, it could be binding to the wrong network interface or something.

That also made me think of another possibility, What is the bind address set to in your configuration file? Are you binding to a specific address? You might want to try binding to the dedicated IP maybe.

[harrymmmm]

For an incoming connection to work, the source of the connection needs to know the IP address and port you are listening on. That would have to be the vpn server. The connection to there on the well-known port 8333 would then be forwarded thru the vpn to your client.

Most vpn's don't allow port forwarding into your client, so incoming connections just don't work.

Those that do allow port forwards require you to register your requirement with them since only one user on each of their vpn servers can listen on that port. I assume you haven't done that.

[harrymmmm]

I should have mentioned, I guess, that the same problem exists with running any listening client (a server).

For example you can't seed a torrent in server mode - you rely on your own client to find seeds and other users and make outward connections to them.

You can't run an OpenBazaar store for the same reasons, etc, etc.

Most people these days with domestic internet connections have at least their own router in the way (so you'd have to open a port forward for incoming connections), but also a domestic ISP firewall/proxy (which also blocks incoming connections). They have no ability to configure that - and the ISP is most unlikely to assist.

[kolloh]

Those that do allow port forwards require you to register your requirement with them since only one user on each of their vpn servers can listen on that port. I assume you haven't done that.

He indicated that he had purchased a dedicated IP address so there shouldn't be an issue of multiple users trying to listen on the same port.

[harrymmmm]

Those that do allow port forwards require you to register your requirement with them since only one user on each of their vpn servers can listen on that port. I assume you haven't done that.

He indicated that he had purchased a dedicated IP address so there shouldn't be an issue of multiple users trying to listen on the same port.

I don't remember the way the bitcoin client behaves atm, but I would think it doesn't give away your actual IP address when connecting out thru tor or a vpn.

That simply means his 'dedicated' IP is irrelevant once the vpn starts up.

edit: I read 'dedicated' from his above comments as meaning his actual IP address. Not the IP address of his vpn server. If the latter is correct, I want to know that vpn provider!

[calkob]

Those that do allow port forwards require you to register your requirement with them since only one user on each of their vpn servers can listen on that port. I assume you haven't done that.

He indicated that he had purchased a dedicated IP address so there shouldn't be an issue of multiple users trying to listen on the same port.

I don't remember the way the bitcoin client behaves atm, but I would think it doesn't give away your actual IP address when connecting out thru tor or a vpn.

That simply means his 'dedicated' IP is irrelevant once the vpn starts up.

edit: I read 'dedicated' from his above comments as meaning his actual IP address. Not the IP address of his vpn server. If the latter is correct, I want to know that vpn provider!

Firstly thanks for the advice

By dedicated i mean my VPN (PureVpn.com)  provides me with a dedicated ip address, as part of my package (not my own IP) and i also purchased a nat firewall which was ment to allow incoming connections.  i actually told them it was to run a bitcoin node and they thought it should work fine.  they also accept bitcoin as payment by the way. 

[harrymmmm]

Those that do allow port forwards require you to register your requirement with them since only one user on each of their vpn servers can listen on that port. I assume you haven't done that.

He indicated that he had purchased a dedicated IP address so there shouldn't be an issue of multiple users trying to listen on the same port.

I don't remember the way the bitcoin client behaves atm, but I would think it doesn't give away your actual IP address when connecting out thru tor or a vpn.

That simply means his 'dedicated' IP is irrelevant once the vpn starts up.

edit: I read 'dedicated' from his above comments as meaning his actual IP address. Not the IP address of his vpn server. If the latter is correct, I want to know that vpn provider!

Firstly thanks for the advice

By dedicated i mean my VPN (PureVpn.com)  provides me with a dedicated ip address, as part of my package (not my own IP) and i also purchased a nat firewall which was ment to allow incoming connections.  i actually told them it was to run a bitcoin node and they thought it should work fine.  they also accept bitcoin as payment by the way. 

I stand corrected. That's an exceptional vpn by the look of it.
High end price, but not much more than the one I use (expressvpn), so I've made a note to check it out when my sub runs out.
What's the bandwidth like?

Back to your problem then ...
I don't think I'd rely on that listener.exe. I'd try to connect directly from another computer (outside of your vpn).
Do you have telnet or netcat? Just telnet <dedicated IP> 8333
You should be told it connected. If so, that confirms your client is running on the right port, using the dedicated address, port forwarding is working etc.
If that connects and still no incoming connections, the problem probably lies with the ip address your client is broadcasting. I don't remember how this particular client works now, but iirc there's a config option for this to be specified.