Frequently Asked Question
UniFi VPN connects on mobile data but cannot reach my NAS from hotel or home Wi-Fi. Why?
QUICK ANSWER
Check for overlapping subnets. If the remote Wi-Fi and the office LAN use the same address range, traffic can stay on the local network instead of reaching the intended resource through the tunnel.
Applies to: Remote-access VPN to a UniFi gateway; protocol and routing controls depend on the deployment.
Work through these checks
- Compare one test on mobile hotspot with the same device on the affected Wi-Fi. Use the same authorised destination and record whether its IP address or only its name fails.
- Privately compare the client Wi-Fi subnet, VPN-assigned subnet and destination LAN subnet. They should not be assumed distinct simply because the tunnel reports Connected.
- If the subnets overlap, ask the administrator to plan a non-overlapping addressing design or an appropriate supported routing solution. Do not change the office LAN range during an unplanned remote session.
- If they do not overlap, check allowed routes, VPN-to-LAN firewall policy, the destination’s own firewall and DNS. Test the intended service directly; ordinary network discovery may not cross a routed VPN.
Confirm the result
The authorised resource opens from both test networks using the intended route, and unrelated local/internet access follows the chosen VPN policy.
Before going further: Do not expose SMB or remote desktop publicly or add unrestricted firewall rules as a substitute for fixing routing.
If you need help
Include these details in your ticket: VPN type, client/gateway versions, redacted subnet diagram and IP-versus-name test results.
Updated 261107