I have a handful of internet-facing Linux (Ubuntu) VPSs with a couple of providers, and I connect them together with a virtual backplane network from ZeroTier (https://www.zerotier.com/). I use this to do stuff like database replication between servers without the need to allow database connections across the public internet. Also on the virtual network is my home server VM, running Windows 2008. This is behind NAT on my home network, and I include it in the backplane to allow my web-based tools to authenticate against AD using LDAP. The virtual network is a simple solution to making NAT irrelevant.
My home network uses the subnet 192.168.1.x, and my ZeroTier virtual network uses the subnet 192.168.2.x. What I’d like to do is join the two networks together, so that any of the virtual nodes on the ZeroTier virtual network are directly accessible from any of the machines on my home network, and vice-versa.
My home router is provided by Internet provider and doesn’t allow me to configure static routes, but all the machines on my home network are part of an AD domain and I anticipate that I can use group policy to configure whatever static route(s) I need on the clients through a startup script. I’m not able to change the default gateway on my home network either – the router sets itself as such when providing IP addresses through DHCP.
I have no idea how to accomplish what I’m trying to do. I assume I need to set static routes on all the windows clients on my home network to send traffic destined for 192.168.2.x to the Windows 2008 VM (192.168.1.52), set routes on all the VPSs to send traffic destined for 192.168.1.x to the Windows 2008 VM (192.168.2.100), and then do something on the Windows 2008 VM to get it to appropriately forward between its physical and virtual network interfaces as required. That’s great on paper, but I’ve never had a need to set up static routes on either Windows or Linux until now and I have no idea how, nor do I know how to get the Windows 2008 VM setup to fulfill its role as a middle-man/router.
Some additional information: In addition to the Windows 2008 VM I also have an Ubuntu Server VM on my home network. If it’s easier to use the Linux box as the middle-man in this scenario then I can do that. I included the Windows box in the virtual network because I wanted the VPSs to be able to easily access its services, but if we can get the two subnets joined then they’ll obviously be able to do that anyway.
Can anyone help guide me? If my approach is fundamentally flawed somehow then I’m open to other suggestions on how to accomplish what I’m trying to do.
