My Linux Notebook

How to configure a PPTP VPN connection in Ubuntu Linux 8.04?

This Linux tutorial describes how to configure and set up a PPTP VPN connection in Ubuntu Linux 8.04 using the network manager. If you are using Ubuntu 9.04 or 8.10 then take a look at how to set up and configure a PPTP VPN connection in Ubuntu Linux 8.10 and 9.04.

How to install Ubuntu PPTP VPN package:

One way is to install the Ubuntu network-manager-pptp package using synaptic:

1. Open synaptic (System -> Administration -> Synaptic Package Manager).
2. Search for vpn.
3. Mark for installation the network-manager-pptp package.
4. Press the apply button.

Another way is to install the Ubuntu network-manager-pptp package using the command line:
$ sudo apt-get install network-manager-pptp

Now, in order for the installation to take affect, you need to restart the dbus service. You can do that by either restarting your Ubuntu, or a better way is by the following command line
sudo /etc/init.d/dbus restart

How to configure the PPTP VPN connection in Ubuntu Linux:

1. Click on the Network-Manager icon on your desktop bar "Notification Area" (also called system tray on windows). This icon can be in the shape of 2 computer screens in the case of wired connection or the signal strength of the wireless connection in case of wireless connection.
2. Choose "VPN Connections" -> "Configure VPN".
3. Press "Add" to add a new connection configuration.
4. On the new "Create VPN Connection" window click the forward button, choose "PPTP tunnel" as the VPN connection type and click on the forward button again.
   
5. Fill in a name for that connection. The name can be office, work or anything else. It is there to distinguish between this connection and others which you might want to create in the future. The Type option should be left as "Windows VPN (PPTP)" and in the Gateway you should insert your VPN server IP. If you don't know the IP address you should ask for it from the system administration of the network that you are trying to connect to.
   
6. On the "Authentication" tab, make sure that "Authenticate Peer", "Refuse EAP" and "Refuse CHAP" are marked.
7. On the "PPP Options" tab make sure that "Use Peer DNS" is unmarked.
8. On the "Routing" tab, make sure that "Peer DNS through tunnel" is unmarked.
9. If you don't want to route all the traffic through the VPN connection and you know what is the range of the IP address of the network that you are trying to connect to, you should mark "Use only VPN connection for these addresses" together with the range of the address.
10. Click on the "Forward"button and then on the "Apply" button.

How to connect to PPTP VPN server using the VPN connection in Ubuntu Linux:

1. Click on the Network-Manager icon on your desktop bar "Notification Area".
2. Choose "VPN Connections" and then choose the VPN connection that you just created.

While ubuntu tries to connect to the VPN server you will see yellow circles around the Network-Manager icon. If the connection will be established you will see a lock sign on the Network-Manager icon. This sign indicates that you are connected to the server. Now all you have to do is to try to connect to any machine on the connected network.

How to disconnect the PPTP VPN connection in Ubuntu Linux:

1. Click on the Network-Manager icon on your desktop bar "Notification Area".
2. Choose "VPN Connections" and then choose "Disconnect VPN".