No Internet after OpenVPN connection established (FRUSTRATED)

I have a custom defined interface over tun0 and relevant firewall zones configured per various of the guides including ExpressVPN "initialisation sequence completed"

I'm just frustrated as hell that I can't figure out the routing tables, routing rules and DNS configurations to be applied to ensure LAN traffic to Internet is router over the VPN connection. I haven't been able to find a logical guide that explains these things clearly from first principles to get a basic home wifi router setup with OpenVPN.

I don't want to simply copy the output of various configs into a post for someone else to figure out and tell me the answer... But of-course that is perhaps the last resort.

Anyone willing to help?

Thanks in advance

To prevent forward traffic leak, create a separate firewall zone for your VPN interface, add the LAN to VPN forwarding and disable the LAN to WAN forwarding.
To prevent DNS leak, configure a VPN-routed DNS provider and disable the ISP DNS or utilize DNS encryption.

1 Like

fwiw, review your setup against my tutorial. v1.1 for LEDE 17/OpenWrt 18 and v1.2 for OpenWrt 19
https://openwrt.ebilan.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=279

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/c8cqmpc6cacs5n8/AAA2f8htk1uMitBckDW8Jq88a?dl=0