I have a server that I am trying to setup for OpenVPN. I have followed all the steps, but I see that when I try to connect to it in Windows, it doesn't allow me, it just hangs on connecting, so I did a nmap scan and I see that port 1194 is not open so naturally I append the rule to open 1194 with:

iptables -A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp --dport 1194 -j ACCEPT

followed by service iptables save and service iptables restart which all executed successfully.

Then I try again, but it doesn't work and another nmap scan says that port 1194 is closed.

Here is the iptables configuration:

# Generated by iptables-save v1.4.7 on Thu Oct 31 09:47:38 2013
*nat
:PREROUTING ACCEPT [27410:3091993]
:POSTROUTING ACCEPT [0:0]
:OUTPUT ACCEPT [5042:376160]
-A POSTROUTING -s 10.8.0.0/24 -o eth0 -j MASQUERADE
-A POSTROUTING -s 10.8.0.0/24 -o eth0 -j MASQUERADE
-A POSTROUTING -o eth0 -j MASQUERADE
-A POSTROUTING -s 10.8.0.0/24 -o eth0 -j MASQUERADE
-A POSTROUTING -s 10.8.0.0/24 -o eth0 -j MASQUERADE
-A POSTROUTING -j SNAT --to-source 41.185.26.238
-A POSTROUTING -s 10.8.0.0/24 -o eth0 -j MASQUERADE
-A POSTROUTING -s 10.8.0.0/24 -o eth0 -j MASQUERADE
-A POSTROUTING -s 10.8.0.0/24 -o eth0 -j MASQUERADE
COMMIT
# Completed on Thu Oct 31 09:47:38 2013
# Generated by iptables-save v1.4.7 on Thu Oct 31 09:47:38 2013
*filter
:INPUT ACCEPT [23571:2869068]
:FORWARD ACCEPT [0:0]
:OUTPUT ACCEPT [27558:3656524]
:vl - [0:0]
-A INPUT -p tcp -m tcp --dport 5252 -m comment --comment "SSH Secure" -j ACCEPT
-A INPUT -p icmp -m icmp --icmp-type 8 -m state --state NEW,RELATED,ESTABLISHED -$
-A INPUT -i lo -j ACCEPT
-A INPUT -m state --state RELATED,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
-A INPUT -p tcp -m tcp --dport 22 -m comment --comment "SSH" -j ACCEPT
-A INPUT -p tcp -m tcp --dport 80 -m comment --comment "HTTP" -j ACCEPT
-A INPUT -p tcp -m tcp --dport 8080 -m comment --comment "HTTPS" -j ACCEPT
-A INPUT -p tcp -m tcp --dport 443 -m comment --comment "HTTP Encrypted" -j ACCEP$
-A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp -m tcp --dport 1723 -j ACCEPT
-A INPUT -i eth0 -p gre -j ACCEPT
-A INPUT -p udp -m udp --dport 1194 -j ACCEPT
-A FORWARD -i ppp+ -o eth0 -j ACCEPT
-A FORWARD -i eth0 -o ppp+ -j ACCEPT
-A FORWARD -m state --state RELATED,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
-A FORWARD -s 10.8.0.0/24 -j ACCEPT
-A FORWARD -j REJECT --reject-with icmp-port-unreachable
-A OUTPUT -p icmp -m icmp --icmp-type 0 -m state --state RELATED,ESTABLISHED -j A$
COMMIT
# Completed on Thu Oct 31 09:47:38 2013

and my nmap scan from:

• localhost:

  nmap localhost
  
  Starting Nmap 5.51 ( http://nmap.org ) at 2013-10-31 09:53 SAST
  Nmap scan report for localhost (127.0.0.1)
  Host is up (0.000011s latency).
  Other addresses for localhost (not scanned): 127.0.0.1
  Not shown: 996 closed ports
  PORT     STATE SERVICE
  22/tcp   open  ssh
  25/tcp   open  smtp
  443/tcp  open  https
  1723/tcp open  pptp
  
  Nmap done: 1 IP address (1 host up) scanned in 0.06 seconds
  

• remote pc:

  nmap [server ip]
  
  Starting Nmap 6.00 ( http://nmap.org ) at 2013-10-31 09:53 SAST
  Nmap scan report for rla04-nix1.wadns.net (41.185.26.238)
  Host is up (0.025s latency).
  Not shown: 858 filtered ports, 139 closed ports
  PORT     STATE SERVICE
  22/tcp   open  ssh
  443/tcp  open  https
  8008/tcp open  http
  
  Nmap done: 1 IP address (1 host up) scanned in 15.70 seconds
  

So, I do not know what is causing this, any assistance will be appreciated!

UPDATE AFTER FIRST ANSWER:::

[root@RLA04-NIX1 ~]# iptables -A FORWARD -m state --state RELATED,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT

[root@RLA04-NIX1 ~]# iptables -A FORWARD -s 10.8.0.0/24 -j ACCEPT [root@RLA04-NIX1 ~]# iptables -A FORWARD -j REJECT

[root@RLA04-NIX1 ~]# iptables -t nat -A POSTROUTING -s 10.8.0.0/24 -o eth0 -j MASQUERADE

[root@RLA04-NIX1 ~]# service iptables save iptables: Saving firewall rules to /etc/sysconfig/iptables:[ OK ]

[root@RLA04-NIX1 ~]# service iptables restart iptables: Flushing firewall rules: [ OK ] iptables: Setting chains to policy ACCEPT: filter nat [ OK ] iptables: Unloading modules: [ OK ] iptables: Applying firewall rules: [ OK ]

[root@RLA04-NIX1 ~]# lsof -i :1194 -bash: lsof: command not found

iptables -L -n
Chain INPUT (policy ACCEPT)
target     prot opt source               destination         
ACCEPT     tcp  --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           tcp dpt:5252 /* SSH Secure */ 
ACCEPT     icmp --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           icmp type 8 state NEW,RELATED,ESTABLISHED 
ACCEPT     all  --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           
ACCEPT     all  --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           state RELATED,ESTABLISHED 
ACCEPT     tcp  --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           tcp dpt:22 /* SSH */ 
ACCEPT     tcp  --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           tcp dpt:80 /* HTTP */ 
ACCEPT     tcp  --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           tcp dpt:8080 /* HTTPS */ 
ACCEPT     tcp  --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           tcp dpt:443 /* HTTP Encrypted */ 
ACCEPT     tcp  --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           tcp dpt:1723 
ACCEPT     47   --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           
ACCEPT     udp  --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           udp dpt:1194 

Chain FORWARD (policy ACCEPT)
target     prot opt source               destination         
ACCEPT     all  --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           
ACCEPT     all  --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           
ACCEPT     all  --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           state RELATED,ESTABLISHED 
ACCEPT     all  --  10.8.0.0/24          0.0.0.0/0           
REJECT     all  --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           reject-with icmp-port-unreachable 
ACCEPT     all  --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           state RELATED,ESTABLISHED 
ACCEPT     all  --  10.8.0.0/24          0.0.0.0/0           
REJECT     all  --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           reject-with icmp-port-unreachable 

Chain OUTPUT (policy ACCEPT)
target     prot opt source               destination         
ACCEPT     icmp --  0.0.0.0/0            0.0.0.0/0           icmp type 0 state RELATED,ESTABLISHED 

Chain vl (0 references)
target     prot opt source               destination         
[root@RLA04-NIX1 ~]# nmap localhostt

Starting Nmap 5.51 ( http://nmap.org ) at 2013-10-31 11:13 SAST

remote pc

nmap [server ip]

Starting Nmap 6.00 ( http://nmap.org ) at 2013-10-31 11:11 SAST
Nmap scan report for rla04-nix1.wadns.net (41.185.26.238)
Host is up (0.020s latency).
Not shown: 858 filtered ports, 139 closed ports
PORT     STATE SERVICE
22/tcp   open  ssh
443/tcp  open  https
8008/tcp open  http

Nmap done: 1 IP address (1 host up) scanned in 4.18 seconds

localhost

nmap localhost

Starting Nmap 5.51 ( http://nmap.org ) at 2013-10-31 11:13 SAST
Nmap scan report for localhost (127.0.0.1)
Host is up (0.000011s latency).
Other addresses for localhost (not scanned): 127.0.0.1
Not shown: 996 closed ports
PORT     STATE SERVICE
22/tcp   open  ssh
25/tcp   open  smtp
443/tcp  open  https
1723/tcp open  pptp

Nmap done: 1 IP address (1 host up) scanned in 0.06 seconds

UPDATE AFTER SCANNING UDP PORTS

Sorry, I am noob, I am still learning, but here is the output for:

nmap -sU [server ip]

Starting Nmap 6.00 ( http://nmap.org ) at 2013-10-31 11:33 SAST
Nmap scan report for [server address] ([server ip])
Host is up (0.021s latency).
Not shown: 997 open|filtered ports
PORT      STATE  SERVICE
53/udp    closed domain
123/udp   closed ntp
33459/udp closed unknown

Nmap done: 1 IP address (1 host up) scanned in 8.57 seconds

btw, no changes have been made since post started (except for iptables changes)