Is it possible to mix and match tunnel clients and servers on the same router?

• A. Yes, any number any combination
• B. No, they must be the same role
• C. Only one client and one server
• D. Only if you have a special license

Answer: (A)

You can mix tunnel roles on the same router because each tunnel is an independent interface that can be configured separately. The router can serve as a tunnel server for some connections while acting as a tunnel client for others at the same time. This means you could have multiple tunnels to different peers, with some connections being initiated by the router (clients) and others where peers initiate the connection to this router (servers). For example, you might run an OpenVPN server to accept remote sites while also keeping an OpenVPN client connection to another gateway, or have an IPsec server for one partner and an IPsec client to another. The ability to mix roles isn’t restricted by the router’s overall configuration—only the hardware’s capacity and the specific VPN features available in your RouterOS license.