Can I Use a Hostname To Connect to a Database Through a VPN Tunnel if the Hostname Is Not Publicly Resolvable?

Question

Can I configure a Fivetran connection to connect to a database over a VPN tunnel using a hostname that is not publicly resolvable?

Environment

• All database connectors
• Connection method: VPN tunnel

Answer

No, Fivetran doesn't support using a hostname that can only be resolved from within your VPN tunnel. Our VPN tunnel configuration doesn't persist custom DNS settings across tunnel restarts. As a result, hostname resolution may fail after the tunnel restarts.

Recommended alternatives

• Use the database host's IP address directly. This avoids dependency on the DNS server and is the most stable option.
• Configure DNS resolution at the cloud-network level. For example, use a public DNS record that points to the private IP address, or configure DNS forwarding rules at your VPN endpoint so our VPC resolver can access the hostname.
• Use a private networking option such as AWS PrivateLink, Azure Private Link, or Google Cloud Private Service Connect if your infrastructure supports it.