[ale] Q: 'pptp'+'mppe' installed, but not yet configured

[John Mills]

ALErs -

I have been stumbling a bit configuring a 'pptp' connection with the
'pptp-commands' script and am going to do a manual walk-through. First I
need to better understand what I'm trying to do.

Environment: RH-6.2 GNU/Linux, just updated, with rpms for
pptp-linux-1.0.3-1 and ppp-mppe-2.4.0-4 'happily' installed. (I wanted to
get this version running first, then try the newer 'pptp'.) Default net
connection by ASDL through eth0 and router/firewall, working fine.

My "local" LAN addresses lie in '192.168.1.0/24' and see the world through
the DSL router as gateway at '192.168.1.1'.

LAN addresses within the VPN lie in '192.168.0.0/24' (which looks
compatible with my local IPs), and see the world through '192.168.0.1'.

Objective: Join Micro$oft VPN through server in order to access the
internal addresses of that LAN ('192.168.0.0/24' space), keeping my
existing DSL route to rest of world. I would also like to add a DNS (at
192.168.0.xxx in the VPN) to resolve those internal addresses in [let's
say] the domain 'yoyo.com'. I want to turn the VPN access on and off
manually by simple script or command sequence, depending on whether or not
I am actively using it. Meanwhile I want the pre-existing DSL access to
function without disturbance.

Progress: I can successfully join the VPN and obtain CHAP authorization,
but I
am failing to add routes and nameserver correctly. I have problems using
the 'pptp-commands' Perl script which comes in the RPM, and the directions
from the 'PPTP-Client Project' web site, and think I am better off walking
through it from the console. I really don't understand what the script is
doing nor why it's failing. Following successful authorization, adding the
route '-net 192.168.0.0/24 ppp0', I am disconnected after a few
seconds. If I try to add a static route [?] as:
 'add -host 192.168.0.x gw 192.168.0.1' I get a routed failure and an
immediate disconnect.

So far as the VPN controller is concerned, I joined, then left the net: it
registers no error at this stage.

Questions:
1) Is this a realistic scenario?

2) What should I achieve when I add route and host for the VPN? I am very
ignorant of routing, and am just parroting the script's example. (In fact,
I don't know if this script is really doing what I want: adding an
additional interface.)

3) What route additions do I _really_ need to make in order to work to
hosts within the VPN (through 'ppp0', if I have understood)?

4) Can I add one or more nameservers to be associated with a particular
domain?

Thanks for any tutoring.

Naturally, section pointers to the Read in Those Fine Manuals are welcome.

 - John Mills


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