Arch Linux

djipey

Member

Registered: 2011-07-30

Posts: 156

[VPN] connect-failed while starting a VPN connection [solved]

Hi,

I had a VPN connection fully working 2 weeks ago. And then I upgraded to Network Manager 1.0 and the connection does  not work anymore.
The settings haven't changed at all, since they were working. I don't understand  what is wrong, the logs don't tell me much:

févr. 23 12:18:01 djipey-laptop NetworkManager[1071]: <info>  Starting VPN service 'pptp'...
févr. 23 12:18:01 djipey-laptop NetworkManager[1071]: <info>  VPN service 'pptp' started (org.freedesktop.NetworkManager.pptp), PID 3250
févr. 23 12:18:01 djipey-laptop NetworkManager[1071]: <info>  VPN service 'pptp' appeared; activating connections
févr. 23 12:18:01 djipey-laptop NetworkManager[1071]: <info>  VPN plugin state changed: init (1)
févr. 23 12:18:01 djipey-laptop NetworkManager[1071]: <info>  VPN connection 'Connexion VPN 1' (ConnectInteractive) reply received.
févr. 23 12:18:01 djipey-laptop NetworkManager[1071]: <info>  VPN plugin state changed: starting (3)
févr. 23 12:18:01 djipey-laptop NetworkManager[1071]: ** Message: pppd started with pid 3251
févr. 23 12:18:01 djipey-laptop NetworkManager[1071]: <info>  VPN connection 'Connexion VPN 1' (Connect) reply received.
févr. 23 12:18:01 djipey-laptop pppd[3251]: Plugin /usr/lib/pppd/2.4.7/nm-pptp-pppd-plugin.so loaded.
févr. 23 12:18:01 djipey-laptop NetworkManager[1071]: Plugin /usr/lib/pppd/2.4.7/nm-pptp-pppd-plugin.so loaded.
févr. 23 12:18:02 djipey-laptop NetworkManager[1071]: ** Message: nm-pptp-ppp-plugin: (plugin_init): initializing
févr. 23 12:18:02 djipey-laptop pppd[3251]: pppd 2.4.7 started by root, uid 0
févr. 23 12:18:02 djipey-laptop pppd[3251]: Using interface ppp0
févr. 23 12:18:02 djipey-laptop NetworkManager[1071]: ** Message: nm-pptp-ppp-plugin: (nm_phasechange): status 3 / phase 'serial connection'
févr. 23 12:18:02 djipey-laptop NetworkManager[1071]: Using interface ppp0
févr. 23 12:18:02 djipey-laptop pppd[3251]: Connect: ppp0 <--> /dev/pts/0
févr. 23 12:18:02 djipey-laptop NetworkManager[1071]: Connect: ppp0 <--> /dev/pts/0
févr. 23 12:18:02 djipey-laptop NetworkManager[1071]: ** Message: nm-pptp-ppp-plugin: (nm_phasechange): status 5 / phase 'establish'
févr. 23 12:18:02 djipey-laptop NetworkManager[1071]: <info>  (ppp0): new Generic device (driver: 'unknown' ifindex: 5)
févr. 23 12:18:02 djipey-laptop NetworkManager[1071]: <info>  (ppp0): exported as /org/freedesktop/NetworkManager/Devices/4
févr. 23 12:18:02 djipey-laptop pptp[3253]: nm-pptp-service-3250 log[main:pptp.c:333]: The synchronous pptp option is NOT activated
févr. 23 12:18:02 djipey-laptop pptp[3260]: nm-pptp-service-3250 log[ctrlp_rep:pptp_ctrl.c:258]: Sent control packet type is 1 'Start-Control-Connection-Request'
févr. 23 12:18:02 djipey-laptop pptp[3260]: nm-pptp-service-3250 log[ctrlp_disp:pptp_ctrl.c:758]: Received Start Control Connection Reply
févr. 23 12:18:02 djipey-laptop pptp[3260]: nm-pptp-service-3250 log[ctrlp_disp:pptp_ctrl.c:792]: Client connection established.
févr. 23 12:18:03 djipey-laptop pptp[3260]: nm-pptp-service-3250 log[ctrlp_rep:pptp_ctrl.c:258]: Sent control packet type is 7 'Outgoing-Call-Request'
févr. 23 12:18:03 djipey-laptop pptp[3260]: nm-pptp-service-3250 log[ctrlp_disp:pptp_ctrl.c:877]: Received Outgoing Call Reply.
févr. 23 12:18:03 djipey-laptop pptp[3260]: nm-pptp-service-3250 log[ctrlp_disp:pptp_ctrl.c:916]: Outgoing call established (call ID 0, peer's call ID 22784).
févr. 23 12:18:33 djipey-laptop pppd[3251]: LCP: timeout sending Config-Requests
févr. 23 12:18:33 djipey-laptop pppd[3251]: Connection terminated.
févr. 23 12:18:33 djipey-laptop NetworkManager[1071]: LCP: timeout sending Config-Requests
févr. 23 12:18:33 djipey-laptop NetworkManager[1071]: ** Message: nm-pptp-ppp-plugin: (nm_phasechange): status 11 / phase 'disconnect'
févr. 23 12:18:33 djipey-laptop NetworkManager[1071]: Connection terminated.
févr. 23 12:18:33 djipey-laptop NetworkManager[1071]: <warn>  VPN plugin failed: connect-failed (1)
févr. 23 12:18:33 djipey-laptop NetworkManager[1071]: ** Message: nm-pptp-ppp-plugin: (nm_phasechange): status 1 / phase 'dead'
févr. 23 12:18:33 djipey-laptop pppd[3251]: Modem hangup
févr. 23 12:18:33 djipey-laptop NetworkManager[1071]: <warn>  VPN plugin failed: connect-failed (1)
févr. 23 12:18:33 djipey-laptop NetworkManager[1071]: <warn>  VPN plugin failed: connect-failed (1)
févr. 23 12:18:33 djipey-laptop NetworkManager[1071]: <info>  VPN plugin state changed: stopped (6)
févr. 23 12:18:33 djipey-laptop NetworkManager[1071]: <info>  VPN plugin state change reason: unknown (0)
févr. 23 12:18:33 djipey-laptop NetworkManager[1071]: <warn>  error disconnecting VPN: Could not process the request because no VPN connection was active.
févr. 23 12:18:33 djipey-laptop NetworkManager[1071]: Modem hangup
févr. 23 12:18:33 djipey-laptop NetworkManager[1071]: ** Message: nm-pptp-ppp-plugin: (nm_exit_notify): cleaning up
févr. 23 12:18:33 djipey-laptop NetworkManager[1071]: ** (nm-pptp-service:3250): WARNING **: pppd exited with error code 16
févr. 23 12:18:53 djipey-laptop NetworkManager[1071]: <info>  VPN service 'pptp' disappeared

Do you have any idea about what is causing the issue ?

Thanks.

Last edited by djipey (2015-02-26 08:24:10)

tabwizard

Member

Registered: 2015-02-25

Posts: 2

Re: [VPN] connect-failed while starting a VPN connection [solved]

Try make /etc/modules-load.d/netfilter.conf to the following:

nf_nat_pptp
nf_conntrack_pptp
nf_conntrack_proto_gre

and reboot.

djipey

Member

Registered: 2011-07-30

Posts: 156

Re: [VPN] connect-failed while starting a VPN connection [solved]

Yep, it solved the problem.

What did cause it ? I would like to understand.

tabwizard

Member

Registered: 2015-02-25

Posts: 2

Re: [VPN] connect-failed while starting a VPN connection [solved]

This feature of the kernel 3.18.
If these modules are not loaded, then the PPTP, GRE (and possibly other) packets are marked as INVALID.

j13r

Member

Registered: 2015-05-20

Posts: 1

Re: [VPN] connect-failed while starting a VPN connection [solved]

Obviously a reboot is not needed and the changes can be applied to the running system via

for module in nf_nat_pptp nf_conntrack_pptp nf_conntrack_proto_gre
do 
    modprobe $module
done

The modules-load.d change just makes this permanent (i.e. modules are loaded at boot time). Another option is to compile these modules into the kernel.

The relevant configs are, in Networking support > Networking options > Network packet filtering framework (Netfilter),  CONFIG_NF_CONNTRACK_PPTP (needs Advanced netfilter configuration) and IPv4 NAT.

micsnare

Member

Registered: 2013-08-25

Posts: 57

Re: [VPN] connect-failed while starting a VPN connection [solved]

Hi,

I'm having a similar problem (at least the very same error message), although I have these three parameters in my netfilter.conf enabled:
nf_nat_pptp
nf_conntrack_pptp
nf_conntrack_proto_gre

I'm using the 4.2.5-1-ARCH kernel.
maybe did this break something again?

the VPN connection was working successfully for the last time on December 7th....

Here's a link to my logs:
https://pastebin.mozilla.org/8854684

at the moment I have no idea why it isn't working anymore since I have the parameters in the netfilter.conf

micsnare

Member

Registered: 2013-08-25

Posts: 57

Re: [VPN] connect-failed while starting a VPN connection [solved]

oh I just made an interesting observation.
looks like my ISP is blocking the connection, because when I use a Tethering Wifi Hotspot over my phone it works without any problems.
however when I connect over my home wifi it's not possible.

so it has nothing to do with Arch (network manager) or with the destination server...
weird.

any idea, what I should be looking for or how I can proof it before I contact my ISP?