[SOLVED]How do I setup a VPN connection?

jaXke · 2016-11-17 12:47:02

Hi.

I have read tons of articles of how to setup a VPN but they all talk about setting up a server. I bought a lisence for AnonVPN and I'd like to use it.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/PPTP_Client

This was the only thing I found regarding setting up a client software but it just won't work for me.

These commands work as supposed

# pptpsetup --create my_tunnel --server [i]vpn.example.com[/i] --username alice --password foo --encrypt
# pon <TUNNEL>

But this command(Route all traffic)

# ip route add default dev ppp0

doesn't. It outputs "RTNETLINK answers: Network is down", and when I try to bring it up

#sudo ip link set up ppp0
>Cannot find device "ppp0"

Now when I command "pon <TUNNEL>" ppp0 is shown in ip link(and it's obviously DOWN at that point) however after the last command, ppp0 completely disappears from ip link interface list.

This command works as expected and does not terminate(like it shouldn't according to Wiki)

# pon <TUNNEL> debug dump logfd 2 nodetach

I have configured my iptables the same way that Wiki shows and my networking works well without the VPN hassle.

Here is my ip link interfaces(I mereley use wlp3s0):

1: lo: <LOOPBACK,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 65536 qdisc noqueue state UNKNOWN mode DEFAULT group default qlen 1
    link/loopback 00:00:00:00:00:00 brd 00:00:00:00:00:00
2: enp0s25: <NO-CARRIER,BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP> mtu 1500 qdisc fq_codel state DOWN mode DEFAULT group default qlen 1000
    link/ether 3c:97:0e:9e:c3:de brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
3: wlp3s0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc mq state UP mode DORMANT group default qlen 1000
    link/ether 6c:88:14:7d:78:b8 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff

I tried the manual method as well but I ended up having the same problem. The VPN account works, I have tried it with VM that's running Windows and it also works on my Android phone.

Thanks !

Last edited by jaXke (2016-11-18 11:32:19)

r0b0t · 2016-11-17 13:22:59

First define what's the kind of the VPN you want to make (IPsec, l2tp , OpenVPN, etc..), second if you don't want to bother with scripts and manual stuff you can use network manager plugins and they have allot of support.
3) If you are looking for privacy I'd definitely wont use a PPTP , I'd definitely go for a OpenVPN with chosen encryption especially if I have to pay for it.
When you'v decided this you can search the wiki and I'm sure you will find plenty of materials there for what you'r asking.

jaXke · 2016-11-17 16:09:25

Thanks for the advice. I spent an hour and a half to set up NetworkManager(I really need to do a reinstall, so many problems with systemd...) and tried to setup the VPN from the applet. The VPN service is only PPTP(this is my first time ever with vpns) and it doesn't estblish the "route"

I ran journalctl while trying to enable the vpn:

# journalctl -f

Nov 17 18:02:09 arch_victor NetworkManager[381]: <info>  [1479398529.9742] audit: op="connection-activate" uuid="04c8d58e-390b-411f-851f-e1cc4305924b" name="VPN connection 2" pid=5782 uid=0 result="success"
Nov 17 18:02:09 arch_victor NetworkManager[381]: <info>  [1479398529.9829] vpn-connection[0x2185700,04c8d58e-390b-411f-851f-e1cc4305924b,"VPN connection 2",0]: Started the VPN service, PID 30742
Nov 17 18:02:10 arch_victor NetworkManager[381]: <info>  [1479398530.0009] vpn-connection[0x2185700,04c8d58e-390b-411f-851f-e1cc4305924b,"VPN connection 2",0]: Saw the service appear; activating connection
Nov 17 18:02:13 arch_victor NetworkManager[381]: <info>  [1479398533.7138] keyfile: update /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/VPN connection 2 (04c8d58e-390b-411f-851f-e1cc4305924b,"VPN connection 2")
Nov 17 18:02:13 arch_victor NetworkManager[381]: <info>  [1479398533.7275] vpn-connection[0x2185700,04c8d58e-390b-411f-851f-e1cc4305924b,"VPN connection 2",0]: VPN connection: (ConnectInteractive) reply received
Nov 17 18:02:13 arch_victor NetworkManager[381]: <info>  [1479398533.7708] vpn-connection[0x2185700,04c8d58e-390b-411f-851f-e1cc4305924b,"VPN connection 2",0]: VPN plugin: state changed: starting (3)
Nov 17 18:02:13 arch_victor pppd[30849]: Plugin /usr/lib/pppd/2.4.7/nm-pptp-pppd-plugin.so loaded.
Nov 17 18:02:13 arch_victor pppd[30849]: pppd 2.4.7 started by root, uid 0
Nov 17 18:02:13 arch_victor pppd[30849]: Using interface ppp0
Nov 17 18:02:13 arch_victor pppd[30849]: Connect: ppp0 <--> /dev/pts/7
Nov 17 18:02:13 arch_victor pptp[30852]: nm-pptp-service-30742 log[main:pptp.c:333]: The synchronous pptp option is NOT activated
Nov 17 18:02:13 arch_victor NetworkManager[381]: <info>  [1479398533.7807] manager: (ppp0): new Generic device (/org/freedesktop/NetworkManager/Devices/4)
Nov 17 18:02:13 arch_victor pptp[30863]: nm-pptp-service-30742 log[ctrlp_rep:pptp_ctrl.c:258]: Sent control packet type is 1 'Start-Control-Connection-Request'
Nov 17 18:02:13 arch_victor pptp[30863]: nm-pptp-service-30742 log[ctrlp_disp:pptp_ctrl.c:758]: Received Start Control Connection Reply
Nov 17 18:02:13 arch_victor pptp[30863]: nm-pptp-service-30742 log[ctrlp_disp:pptp_ctrl.c:792]: Client connection established.
Nov 17 18:02:14 arch_victor pptp[30863]: nm-pptp-service-30742 log[ctrlp_rep:pptp_ctrl.c:258]: Sent control packet type is 7 'Outgoing-Call-Request'
Nov 17 18:02:14 arch_victor pptp[30863]: nm-pptp-service-30742 log[ctrlp_disp:pptp_ctrl.c:877]: Received Outgoing Call Reply.
Nov 17 18:02:14 arch_victor pptp[30863]: nm-pptp-service-30742 log[ctrlp_disp:pptp_ctrl.c:916]: Outgoing call established (call ID 0, peer's call ID 48768).
Nov 17 18:02:44 arch_victor pppd[30849]: LCP: timeout sending Config-Requests
Nov 17 18:02:44 arch_victor pppd[30849]: Connection terminated.
Nov 17 18:02:44 arch_victor NetworkManager[381]: <warn>  [1479398564.8125] vpn-connection[0x2185700,04c8d58e-390b-411f-851f-e1cc4305924b,"VPN connection 2",0]: VPN plugin: failed: connect-failed (1)
Nov 17 18:02:44 arch_victor NetworkManager[381]: <info>  [1479398564.8144] vpn-connection[0x2185700,04c8d58e-390b-411f-851f-e1cc4305924b,"VPN connection 2",0]: VPN service disappeared
Nov 17 18:02:44 arch_victor pptp[30863]: nm-pptp-service-30742 log[callmgr_main:pptp_callmgr.c:245]: Closing connection (unhandled)
Nov 17 18:02:44 arch_victor pppd[30849]: Terminating on signal 15
Nov 17 18:02:44 arch_victor pppd[30849]: Modem hangup
Nov 17 18:02:44 arch_victor pppd[30849]: Exit.
Nov 17 18:02:44 arch_victor pptp[30863]: nm-pptp-service-30742 log[ctrlp_rep:pptp_ctrl.c:258]: Sent control packet type is 12 'Call-Clear-Request'
Nov 17 18:02:44 arch_victor pptp[30863]: nm-pptp-service-30742 log[call_callback:pptp_callmgr.c:84]: Closing connection (call state)

VPN service disappeared? Lovely.

Tried googling them errors but no help. Modprobed nf_conntrack_pptp and nf_conntrack_proto_gre too. Should I just get another service?

R00KIE · 2016-11-17 16:50:12

Did you setup a firewall in your machine? Is any firewall between you and the vpn server?

jaXke · 2016-11-17 23:34:20

R00KIE wrote:

Did you setup a firewall in your machine? Is any firewall between you and the vpn server?

Nope. Uninstalled ufw and reset iptables rules.

jaXke · 2016-11-18 11:31:51

Ok. Got it working. I think it was a problem with my router so your guess on the firewall was sort of correct. I needed to port forward OpenVPN ports(I tried a free OpenVPN VPN service, might switch to that cause I only paid 1$ for the AnonVPN 1year subscription) to get it working. It was quite exiting to configure a router whose web site is completely Chinese haha Thanks for the help!

Last edited by jaXke (2016-11-18 11:34:52)

Arch Linux

#1 2016-11-17 12:47:02

[SOLVED]How do I setup a VPN connection?

#2 2016-11-17 13:22:59

Re: [SOLVED]How do I setup a VPN connection?

#3 2016-11-17 16:09:25

Re: [SOLVED]How do I setup a VPN connection?

#4 2016-11-17 16:50:12

Re: [SOLVED]How do I setup a VPN connection?

#5 2016-11-17 23:34:20

Re: [SOLVED]How do I setup a VPN connection?

#6 2016-11-18 11:31:51

Re: [SOLVED]How do I setup a VPN connection?

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