The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →If WireGuard connects but you cannot reach your NAS or other home devices, check whether the network you are visiting uses the same IP range as home. Keep the WireGuard tunnel on its own unused range, route the home LAN through the tunnel, and make sure home devices have a return path. If the two LAN ranges overlap, changing a network you control is usually the most reliable fix; routing or translation workarounds need careful, platform-specific configuration.
Why WireGuard can connect while home devices remain unreachable
A WireGuard handshake shows that the peers can communicate; it does not prove that traffic to every home LAN destination is being routed correctly. If your current Wi-Fi and home network use identical or overlapping prefixes, your device may treat a home address as part of the directly connected Wi-Fi network. It can then try to find that address locally instead of sending the traffic through WireGuard. The IETF describes the broader problems caused by overlapping private address space in RFC 5684.
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Compare the full network prefixes
Check the LAN prefix configured on your home router and the prefix assigned to the device you are using remotely. Do not compare only the gateway addresses. For example, if both networks use 192.168.1.0/24, a home device at an address in that range can look local to your current Wi-Fi. That example is illustrative: inspect your actual network details rather than assuming a particular range.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsChoose separate ranges for home and the WireGuard tunnel
The home LAN and the VPN tunnel should use distinct address ranges. Ubuntu’s remote-access example uses 10.10.10.0/24 for the home LAN and 10.10.11.0/24 for VPN users; these are example values, not defaults or a prescription for every network. Choose an unused range after considering the networks your devices need to reach. See Ubuntu’s WireGuard routing guide.
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Route only the home network when you want split tunneling
For split tunneling, the client should route the home LAN prefix through the WireGuard peer rather than send all traffic through it. In WireGuard, AllowedIPs helps determine which peer receives outgoing packets and which source addresses are accepted from that peer. It therefore acts both like a routing table and an access-control list, as the WireGuard project documentation explains.
On the client, include the home LAN prefix in the peer’s AllowedIPs, along with the tunnel address or other routes the configuration requires. On the server, associate that client peer with its tunnel address as appropriate. Exact configuration syntax and any additional routes depend on the operating system and how WireGuard is deployed.
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Fix a conflict when the network you are visiting overlaps home
Renumber a network you control
If you can change your home LAN, choose a prefix that does not overlap the networks you commonly use away from home. When changing the home range, update the router’s DHCP scope, reserved and static addresses, routes, and any WireGuard AllowedIPs entries that refer to the old prefix. Router interfaces and migration details vary, so consult the documentation for your router before applying the change.
Use a workaround only when renumbering is impractical
For access to one service, a proxy or translated address may avoid exposing the conflicting destination in the same way, but translation can hide the original remote client address and needs to be configured for the particular service and network. A subnet-routing product is another option when a router cannot run WireGuard or devices cannot run VPN software individually; it does not make overlapping routes harmless.
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Tailscale documents a route-specificity workaround for certain known, fixed networks and warns that it may be unsuitable on changing Wi-Fi networks. That guidance is specific to its route handling, not a general WireGuard setting. See Tailscale’s troubleshooting guide for overlapping subnet routes and its overview of subnet routers and route traffic. Subnet routers let devices that do not run a VPN client be reached through a designated router; route approval and access policy still matter.
Make sure replies can get back to the WireGuard client
Even when the client sends a request through the tunnel, a home device needs a route for its reply. With ordinary routing, the home network must know how to reach the WireGuard client address range. One approach is a static route on the home router that points the VPN range to the WireGuard gateway. Whether that is possible, and where to configure it, depends on the router and topology.
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Alternatively, the WireGuard gateway can source-NAT VPN traffic so home devices see the gateway, rather than the remote client, as the source. This can simplify the return path, but services on the LAN will not see the actual remote client address. Tailscale likewise notes that return routes are needed when subnet-router source NAT is disabled; consult its subnet-router documentation for that product’s behavior.
Choose split tunnel or full tunnel based on what you need
| Choice | Route behavior | Useful when | Considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Split tunnel | Only selected home prefixes traverse WireGuard. | You need home devices but want ordinary internet traffic to stay on the network you are using. | The home prefix can still conflict with the local Wi-Fi prefix; select routes deliberately. |
| Full tunnel | All IPv4 destinations use the WireGuard peer when 0.0.0.0/0 is configured. |
You also want internet traffic to exit through home. | Home must be set up to forward and, where needed, NAT that internet traffic. Full tunneling does not make two hosts with the same IP address distinguishable. |
These modes serve different routing goals, as discussed in RFC 5684. Netgate’s TNSR example uses AllowedIPs = 0.0.0.0/0 for full-tunnel IPv4 and shows NAT for internet access; those are TNSR-specific setup details, not universal router instructions. See Netgate’s TNSR remote-access documentation. Do not add internet masquerading for a split-tunnel setup unless clients are meant to send internet traffic through home.
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A practical troubleshooting order
- Confirm the tunnel: Check that the WireGuard peer handshakes, then test access to a home LAN address rather than treating the handshake as proof of LAN reachability.
- Compare prefixes: Inspect the home router’s LAN prefix and the remote client’s current network prefix. If they overlap, the client may route a home destination onto the local network.
- Check tunnel addressing: Make sure the WireGuard peer addresses use a range distinct from the home LAN and other networks the client commonly visits.
- Check client routes: For split tunneling, verify the home LAN prefix is included in the client peer’s
AllowedIPs. For full tunneling, confirm the intended IPv4 default route is configured. - Check server peer configuration: Confirm the server associates the client’s tunnel address with the correct peer and permits the intended traffic.
- Check the return path: Ensure the home LAN has a route back to the VPN client range, or that the gateway uses an intentional source-NAT design.
- Change one thing at a time: If the prefixes overlap, prioritize renumbering a network you control. Use translation or product-specific route workarounds only when you understand their effect on return routing and source addresses.
When the router cannot host WireGuard
Check whether your existing router supports WireGuard or can route traffic to a device that hosts it before buying hardware. Ubuntu’s guide describes router and software-based approaches and mentions a Raspberry Pi as one possible routing device; it is an option, not a requirement. A device running routing software can provide a gateway, but it does not by itself resolve overlapping LAN prefixes. A subnet router such as Tailscale’s is another way to reach devices that cannot run VPN software individually, subject to route overlap and access-policy constraints.
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