PPTP - Unmaintained

Tom Eastep

Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover, and with no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled GNU Free Documentation License.

2023/02/18

Abstract

Shorewall easily supports PPTP in a number of configurations.


Table of Contents

Preliminary Reading
PPTP Server Running on your Firewall
Configuring Samba
Configuring pppd
Configuring pptpd
Configuring Shorewall
Basic Setup
Remote Users in a Separate Zone
Multiple Remote Networks
PPTP Server Running Behind your Firewall
PPTP Clients Running Behind your Firewall
PPTP Client Running on your Firewall
PPTP Client running on your Firewall with PPTP Server in an ADSL Modem

Warning

I have not used PPTP in years and as a consequence, this document is no longer maintained (any volunteers?).

As far as I know, the information regarding Shorewall configuration is still valid but the configurations shown for for the other components may no longer work. For the most part, they show configuration files that I used when I worked for Compaq™ and used PPTP as my work VPN.

Preliminary Reading

I recommend reading the VPN Basics article if you plan to implement any type of VPN.

PPTP Server Running on your Firewall

Configuring Samba

You will need a WINS server (Samba configured to run as a WINS server is fine). Global section from /etc/samba/smb.conf on my WINS server (192.168.1.3) is:

[global]
     workgroup = TDM-NSTOP
     netbios name = WOOKIE
     server string = GNU/Linux Box
     encrypt passwords = Yes
     log file = /var/log/samba/%m.log
     max log size = 0
     socket options = TCP_NODELAY SO_RCVBUF=8192 SO_SNDBUF=8192
     os level = 65
     domain master = True
     preferred master = True
     dns proxy = No
     wins support = Yes
     printing = lprng

[homes]
     comment = Home Directories
     valid users = %S
     read only = No
     create mask = 0664
     directory mask = 0775

[printers]
     comment = All Printers
     path = /var/spool/samba
     printable = Yes

Configuring pppd

Here is a copy of my /etc/ppp/options.poptop file:

ipparam PoPToP
lock
mtu 1490
mru 1490
ms-wins 192.168.1.3
ms-dns 206.124.146.177
multilink
proxyarp
auth
+chap
+chapms
+chapms-v2
ipcp-accept-local
ipcp-accept-remote
lcp-echo-failure 30
lcp-echo-interval 5
deflate 0
mppe-128
mppe-stateless
require-mppe
require-mppe-stateless

Note

  • System 192.168.1.3 acts as a WINS server so I have included that IP as the ms-wins value.

  • I have pointed the remote clients at my DNS server -- it has external address 206.124.146.177.

  • I am requiring 128-bit stateless compression.

Here's my /etc/ppp/chap-secrets:

Secrets for authentication using CHAP
# client        server    secret    IP addresses
CPQTDM\\TEastep *         <shhhhhh> 192.168.1.7
TEastep         *         <shhhhhh> 192.168.1.7

I am the only user who connects to the server but I may connect either with or without a domain being specified. The system I connect from is my laptop so I give it the same IP address when tunneled in at it has when I use its wireless LAN card around the house.

You will also want the following in /etc/modules.conf:

alias ppp-compress-18 ppp_mppe
alias ppp-compress-21 bsd_comp
alias ppp-compress-24 ppp_deflate
alias ppp-compress-26 ppp_deflate

Configuring pptpd

PoPTop (pptpd) is available from http://www.poptop.org/.

Here is a copy of my /etc/pptpd.conf file:

option /etc/ppp/options.poptop
speed 115200
localip 192.168.1.254
remoteip 192.168.1.33-38

Note

  • I specify the /etc/ppp/options.poptop file as my ppp options file (I have several).

  • The local IP is the same as my internal interface's (192.168.1.254).

  • I have assigned a remote IP range that overlaps my local network. This, together with proxyarp in my /etc/ppp/options.poptop file make the remote hosts look like they are part of the local subnetwork.

I use this file to start/stop pptpd -- I have this in /etc/init.d/pptpd:

#!/bin/sh
#
# /etc/rc.d/init.d/pptpd
#
# chkconfig: 5 12 85
# description: control pptp server
#

case "$1" in
start)
    echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward
    modprobe ppp_async
    modprobe ppp_generic
    modprobe ppp_mppe
    modprobe slhc
    if /usr/local/sbin/pptpd; then
        touch /var/lock/subsys/pptpd
    fi
    ;;
stop)
    killall pptpd
    rm -f /var/lock/subsys/pptpd
    ;;
restart)
    killall pptpd
    if /usr/local/sbin/pptpd; then
        touch /var/lock/subsys/pptpd
    fi
    ;;
status)
    ifconfig
    ;;
*)
    echo "Usage: $0 {start|stop|restart|status}"
    ;;
esac

Configuring Shorewall

Basic Setup

Here' a basic setup that treats your remote users as if they were part of your loc zone. Note that if your primary Internet connection uses ppp0, then be sure that loc follows net in /etc/shorewall/zones.

/etc/shorewall/tunnels:

#TYPE           ZONE             GATEWAY           GATEWAY ZONE
pptpserver      net              0.0.0.0/0

/etc/shorewall/interfaces:

#ZONE          INTERFACE         BROADCAST        OPTIONS
loc            ppp+

Remote Users in a Separate Zone

If you want to place your remote users in their own zone so that you can control connections between these users and the local network, follow this example. Note that if your primary Internet connection uses ppp0 then be sure that vpn follows net in /etc/shorewall/zones as shown below.

/etc/shorewall/tunnels:

#TYPE           ZONE             GATEWAY           GATEWAY ZONE
pptpserver      net              0.0.0.0/0

/etc/shorewall/zones:

#ZONE           TYPE
net             ipv4
loc             ipv4
vpn             ipv4

/etc/shorewall/interfaces:

#ZONE          INTERFACE         BROADCAST        OPTIONS
net            eth0              206.124.146.255
loc            eth2              192.168.10.255
vpn            ppp+

Your policies and rules may now be configured for traffic to/from the vpn zone.

Multiple Remote Networks

Often there will be situations where you want multiple connections from remote networks with these networks having different firewalling requirements.

Here's how you configure this in Shorewall. Note that if your primary Internet connection uses ppp0 then be sure that the vpn{1-3} zones follows net in /etc/shorewall/zones as shown below.

/etc/shorewall/tunnels:

#TYPE           ZONE             GATEWAY           GATEWAY ZONE
pptpserver      net              0.0.0.0/0

/etc/shorewall/zones:

#ZONE           TYPE
fw              firewall
net             ipv4
loc             ipv4
vpn1            ipv4
vpn2            ipv4
vpn3            ipv4

/etc/shorewall/interfaces:

#ZONE          INTERFACE         BROADCAST        OPTIONS
net            eth0              206.124.146.255
loc            eth2              192.168.10.255
-              ppp+

/etc/shorewall/hosts:

#ZONE          HOST(S)                   OPTIONS
vpn1           ppp+:192.168.1.0/24
vpn2           ppp+:192.168.2.0/24
vpn3           ppp+:192.168.3.0/24

Your policies and rules can now be configured using separate zones (vpn1, vpn2, and vpn3) for the three remote network.

PPTP Server Running Behind your Firewall

If you have a single external IP address, add the following to your /etc/shorewall/rules file:

/etc/shorewall/rules:

#ACTION      SOURCE         DEST                  PROTO       DEST PORT(S)
DNAT         net            loc:<server address>  tcp         1723
DNAT         net            loc:<server address>  47

If you have multiple external IP address and you want to forward a single <external address>, add the following to your /etc/shorewall/rules file:

/etc/shorewall/rules:

#ACTION      SOURCE         DEST                  PROTO       DEST PORT(S)     SOURCE          ORIGINAL
#                                                                              PORT(S)         DEST
DNAT         net            loc:<server address>  tcp         1723             -               <external address>
DNAT         net            loc:<server address>  47          -                -               <external address>

You will also want to add this entry to your /etc/shorewall/masq file:

#INTERFACE             SUBNET             ADDRESS               PROTO
<external interface>   <server address>   <external address>    47

Important

Be sure that the above entry comes before any other entry that might match the server's address.

PPTP Clients Running Behind your Firewall

Please see this article.

PPTP Client Running on your Firewall

The key elements of this setup are as follows:

  1. Define a zone for the remote network accessed via PPTP.

  2. Associate that zone with a ppp interface.

  3. Define rules for PPTP traffic to/from the firewall.

  4. Define rules for traffic two and from the remote zone.

Here are examples from one of my old setups:

/etc/shorewall/zones:

#ZONE          TYPE
cpq            ipv4

/etc/shorewall/interfaces:

#ZONE          INTERFACE        BROADCAST          OPTIONS
-              ppp+

/etc/shorewall/hosts:

#ZONE          HOST(S)                             OPTIONS
cpq            ppp+:!192.168.1.0/24

/etc/shorewall/tunnels:

#TYPE          ZONE             GATEWAY            GATEWAY ZONE
pptpclient     net              0.0.0.0/0

I use the combination of interface and hosts file to define the cpq zone because I also run a PPTP server on my firewall (see above). Using this technique allows me to distinguish clients of my own PPTP server from arbitrary hosts at Compaq; I assign addresses in 192.168.1.0/24 to my PPTP clients and Compaq doesn't use that RFC1918 Class C subnet.

I use this script in /etc/init.d to control the client. The reason that I disable ECN when connecting is that the Compaq tunnel servers don't do ECN yet and reject the initial TCP connection request if I enable ECN :-(

#!/bin/sh
#
# /etc/rc.d/init.d/pptp
#
# chkconfig: 5 60 85
# description: PPTP Link Control
#
NAME="Tandem"
ADDRESS=tunnel-tandem.compaq.com
USER='Tandem\tommy'
ECN=0
DEBUG=

start_pptp() {
    echo $ECN > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/tcp_ecn
    if /usr/sbin/pptp $ADDRESS user $USER noauth $DEBUG; then
        touch /var/lock/subsys/pptp
        echo "PPTP Connection to $NAME Started"
    fi
}

stop_pptp() {
    if killall /usr/sbin/pptp 2> /dev/null; then
        echo "Stopped pptp"
    else
        rm -f /var/run/pptp/*
    fi

    # if killall pppd; then
    # echo "Stopped pppd"
    # fi

    rm -f /var/lock/subsys/pptp

    echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/tcp_ecn
}


case "$1" in
start)
    echo "Starting PPTP Connection to ${NAME}..."
    start_pptp
    ;;
stop)
    echo "Stopping $NAME PPTP Connection..."
    stop_pptp
    ;;
restart)
    echo "Restarting $NAME PPTP Connection..."
    stop_pptp
    start_pptp
    ;;
status)
    ifconfig
    ;;
*)
    echo "Usage: $0 {start|stop|restart|status}"
    ;;
esac

Here's my /etc/ppp/options file:

#
# Identify this connection
#
ipparam Compaq
#
# Lock the port
#
lock
#
# We don't need the tunnel server to authenticate itself
#
noauth

+chap
+chapms
+chapms-v2

multilink
mrru 1614
#
# Turn off transmission protocols we know won't be used
#
nobsdcomp
nodeflate

#
# We want MPPE
#
mppe-128
mppe-stateless

#
# We want a sane mtu/mru
#
mtu 1000
mru 1000

#
# Time this thing out of it goes poof
#
lcp-echo-failure 10
lcp-echo-interval 10

My /etc/ppp/ip-up.local file sets up the routes that I need to route Compaq traffic through the PPTP tunnel:

#/bin/sh

case $6 in
Compaq)
    route add -net 16.0.0.0 netmask 255.0.0.0 gw $5 $1
    route add -net 130.252.0.0 netmask 255.255.0.0 gw $5 $1
    route add -net 131.124.0.0 netmask 255.255.0.0 gw $5 $1
    ...
    ;;
esac

Finally, I run the following script every five minutes under crond to restart the tunnel if it fails:

#!/bin/sh
restart_pptp() {
    /sbin/service pptp stop
    sleep 10
    if /sbin/service pptp start; then
        /usr/bin/logger "PPTP Restarted"
    fi
}

if [ -n "`ps ax | grep /usr/sbin/pptp | grep -v grep`" ]; then
    exit 0
fi

echo "Attempting to restart PPTP"

restart_pptp > /dev/null 2>&1 &

Here's a script and corresponding ip-up.local from Jerry Vonau that controls two PPTP connections.

PPTP Client running on your Firewall with PPTP Server in an ADSL Modem

Some ADSL systems in Europe (most notably in Austria and the Netherlands) feature a PPTP server builtinto an ADSL Modem. In this setup, an Ethernet interface is dedicated to supporting the PPTP tunnel between the firewall and the Modem while the actual Internet access is through PPTP (interface ppp0). If you have this type of setup, you need to modify the sample configuration that you downloaded as described in this section. These changes are in addition to those described in the QuickStart Guides.

Lets assume the following:

  • ADSL Modem connected through eth0

  • Modem IP address = 192.168.1.1

  • eth0 IP address = 192.168.1.2

The changes you need to make are as follows:

  1. Add this entry to /etc/shorewall/zones:

    #ZONE          TYPE
    modem          ipv4

    That entry defines a new zone called modem which will contain only your ADSL modem.

  2. Add the following entry to /etc/shorewall/interfaces:

    #ZONE          INTERFACE        BROADCAST          OPTIONS
    modem          eth0             192.168.1.255      dhcp

    You will of course modify the net entry in /etc/shorewall/interfaces to specify ppp0 as the interface as described in the QuickStart Guide corresponding to your setup.

  3. Add the following to /etc/shorewall/tunnels:

    #TYPE          ZONE             GATEWAY            GATEWAY ZONE
    pptpclient     modem            192.168.1.1

    That entry allows a PPTP tunnel to be established between your Shorewall system and the PPTP server in the modem.