No incoming connections through VPN

[asd178]

My Linux machine is behind a NAT from which I can not port-forward as it is out of my control. I want to run Deluge on said machine, and to have incoming connections, too.
So, I install Docker container with Deluge and OpenVPN, connect to VPN server (which IS under my control), open a couple of ports and port-forward them to the VPN address of my OpenVPN client. A button in Deluge that checks active ports gives green light, Deluge downloads normally and uploads a little bit.
But no incoming connections. First, the "No Incoming Connections!" message never goes away, never at all. Second, I staged an experiment involving another torrent client (not port-forwarded) trying to download from the first one. Clients could not connect, but they should, if one of them was "connectable".

Any ideas? Could there be something wrong with the VPN, even if it works, apparently? Or, I could overlook something obvious.

[gderf]

You will always see a "No Incoming Connections" warning when operating Deluge with a VPN or Proxy. There is nothing you can do to change this, nor do you need to. Don't worry about it.

[asd178]

I installed one more Docker container, this time with qBittorrent and OpenVPN. The rest of the setup is the same. Now I have incoming connections in qBittorrent. So, it almost certainly is some trouble with Deluge.

[gderf]

With Deluge and either VPN or Proxy, your incoming connections are made on the distant endpoint of the tunnel, not on your machine.

[mhertz]

Several have tried this test of trying to make another or same client connect to a forwarded deluge client without luck. I have no idea why and haven't tried myself neither. (Edit: I'm not talking in general, but in staged testing.)

Socks5 proxies only have incoming connection when lucky through dht and utp, whereas vpns with forwarded ports should be fully open both tcp and utp/dht.

The point about incoming connections on distant endpoint is good though. Still, doesn't explain why deluge seemingly is unconnectable in "staged" experiments, which I've read atleast twice in last couple of years I remember(where the steps reported sounded reasonable).

Sorry I cannot be of help

[mhertz]

Btw, for me then the "check incoming port" function in gtk-client works fine for VPN forwarded port. When starting client then it states port issue down in the right lower corner, but when going into preferences and pressing the checking button under network tab, then it works and the message in lower corner goes away(it takes some secs to test and so deluge stops to early in the message of lower corner initially). I'm on linux and using latest deluge and libtorrent i.e. deluge 2.0.4.dev23 and libtorrent 1.2.3, with python3.8.

I read an article about VPNs and port-forwarding, and they stated it could be tested if working in two ways, one in GTKUI and another by checking website testing open ports and allowing entering external IP(of VPN) and port. I of course knew that, but the part about the GTKUI as test-tool working too(for VPNs also), led me to try myself in GTKUI and it worked for me too, though i've heard before it didn't(and always myself tested previously using the website method).

For proxies, it will not work of course.

[asd178]

Sorry I cannot be of help

But you are! Now, hopefully, I could forget about this thing and concentrate on something more promising. Although, it's a pity, because I like deluge Thin Client much better then qBittorrent WebUI (I need a remote connection to daemon).

Btw, for me then the "check incoming port" function in gtk-client works fine for VPN forwarded port. When starting client then it states port issue down in the right lower corner, but when going into preferences and pressing the checking button under network tab, then it works and the message in lower corner goes away(it takes some secs to test and so deluge stops to early in the message of lower corner initially). I'm on linux and using latest deluge and libtorrent i.e. deluge 2.0.4.dev23 and libtorrent 1.2.3, with python3.8.

That's not what I've seen. I have different versions of everything (deluge 1.3.15), and it's a different behavior (the message never goes away), and it makes me think if it's worth a try with a new version.
Do I understand that correctly, that in that case you did not checked if there were actual incoming connections?

[mhertz]

I just tested if it was an old-version issue or not, by temporarilly removing latest deluge and libtorrent and installing deluge 1.3.15 and libtorrent 1.1.13 and testing this again.

In deluge 1.3.15(and also newest), I disable upnp and nat-pnp as else it states OK connection regardless because of that. As in newest deluge, then initially the message down in status-bar to right, states no incoming connections, and when pressing test-button in preferences, then the green circle shows(in new deluge a checkmark shows instead) and the message goes away about no incoming connections in statusbar down to the right.

I checked incoming connections in the way I always do, which is to test on some website testing for open ports and supporting changing the checked IP away from your own, e.g. https://www.yougetsignal.com/tools/open-ports/ and enter IP and forwarded port of VPN endpoint. Also, I sometime use rtorrent and there is an issue there where magnets without fallback trackers defined doesn't start without forwarded port, not dht-port but the other main incoming port, as metadata isn't downloaded, for some reason, even though this works in other clients like deluge etc. This has been tested and confirmed by me and several others, e.g. one of the related devs there also.

I have never checked any "staged-experiments" though neither to confirm further, sorry.

[asd178]

Success!
I've got incoming connections through VPN to Deluge 2.0.3. Don't know which libtorrent version it is, because cannot find it in WebUI.

Thank you!

The only thing is that I need thin client for windows. I'm reading the "unofficial Windows installer" thread now.

[mhertz]

Nice, you're welcome, I'm glad you figured it out Maybe it's a libtorrent version thing as for me it also worked in deluge 1.3.15, the test-button in preference-menu, I mean. You can see libtorrent version with e.g 'deluge-console --version' or 'deluged --version', or using distro's package-manager of-course.

BTW, I ramble on, too much properly in that thread, and alot of the thread is outdated and also alot off-topic stuff about getting a plugin for a user working with deluge2.