mDNS Across Wireguard VPN To Resolve ".local" Addresses

[Taddeusz]

Is there a way for mDNS to work across the Wireguard VPN so that ".local" addresses can be resolved? Recently had to get a new router that doesn't have its own definable internal domain. So now I'm back to having to reserve IP addresses. I recently learned about mDNS and ".local" but those addresses won't resolve when I'm connected through the VPN. Any ideas?

[ljm42]

I'd recommend either connecting by IP address, or using an FQDN that resolves to a local IP, such as the myunraid.net url Unraid provides:

   https://wiki.unraid.net/Manual/Security#Securing_webGui_connections_.28SSL.29

[Taddeusz]

@ljm42 I’m not talking specifically about accessing my Unraid server. I’m talking about accessing any computer on my network by name instead of IP address. My Unraid server already has a static IP, that’s never going to change. I like the flexibility of being able to refer to my home computers by name rather than IP and also not have to rely on DHCP reservations to ensure they always get the same IP. As well as not having to memorize the IP addresses of every single computer.

 

I also don’t want to set up a DNS server on Unraid for those times I need to take the server down for maintenance effectively bringing the whole internet down for everyone in my family. I already went through that when I was running an Active Directory server in a VM. It’s not an experience I want to repeat.

[apandey]

I keep my basic network firewall (pfsense) on separate hardware from unraid. That is a lot more secure and flexible when it comes to reliability, maintenance etc. The more things I have going on unraid, the higher the chances of something needing maintenance or breaking occasionally due to ever increasing complexity. It's good to know I have connectivity when that happens

[ljm42]

4 hours ago, Taddeusz said:

Is there a way for mDNS to work across the Wireguard VPN so that ".local" addresses can be resolved?

 

AFAIK mDNS only works on the local network

[apandey]

3 minutes ago, ljm42 said:

AFAIK mDNS only works on the local network

One can setup a mDNS reflector or repeater to cross across networks, but have to be careful with this to avoid any nasty broadcast storms and security concerns (which are inherently why it works local network only by design) 

[ryoko227]

I'm not sure if this is relevant to the OPs issue or not, but right now, my current work around for naming IPs over WireGuard, is just to add the record to PCs that we use remotely's Windows Host file. It has no problems pulling up network mapped drives, etc. when done this way.

 

I'm sure there has to be a more elegant way of doing this though, maybe in the wireguard config file?? It seems that everyone is just forwarding to either piHole or pfense though, as everything I Google to try and find an answer, relates to those.

 

If someone knows how to do this directly in the Wireguard config files, that would be greatly appreciated.

 

(note) networks are multiple unifi usg3s, using jsons directing the naming across IPSEC tunnels. Changes to those break that functionality