VPN client for Linux

[DaReaper]

Uhm, I need to know what's the actual difference between PPTP and P2TP, and maybe also L2TP/IPsec.

I noticed HidemyIP provides a way to add it's VPN on windows using L2TP layer 2 protocol. Is this some kind of security? or maybe some better connectivity?

I wonder if it's something like in OpenVPN where We have UDP and TCP protocols, where in UDP is the most stable whereas TCP isn't cause i believe it creates a lot of handshakes and multiplies the connections which is not viable on smaller wireless networks like 2G or 3G.

[Akendo]

Lets take a cup of coffee and quote the best side of the internet, Wikipedia says:

The Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) is a method for implementing virtual private networks. PPTP uses a control channel over TCP and a GRE tunnel operating to encapsulate PPP packets.

Read more

PPTP is not so bad, but it sucks! We're talking about real VPNs, means SSL-based VPN(OpenVPN) and IPsec (openSwan).

That is why, we go to OpenSwan, it's the IPsec implementation of the Linux World. It's using the "Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol":

In computer networking, Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) is a tunneling protocol used to support virtual private networks (VPNs) or as part of the delivery of services by ISPs. It does not provide any encryption or confidentiality by itself; it relies on an encryption protocol that it passes within the tunnel to provide privacy.

Read more...

When you don't know what the "Layer 2" term means you should start with some basic understanding of the network world. It's a reference to the OSI-Model. Read more about the OSI-Model

L2TP depends on another encryption technologies. That is was now IPsec is. But to understand the IPsec Standard it take a lot of time and can't be done in a day. When you a little bit informed about the World of Security, the Name "Bruce Schneier" will tell you something. He did a good review of IPsec, i recommends it to read. Read "A Cryptographic Evaluation of IPsec"

Anyway: OpenVPN is so simple. You can't do much wrong and that makes it so great.

so far
Akendo


PS: Bruce is very "delightful" on details, could be hard to understand at some points.

[Stefano Messicano]

1. Download VPN client for linux and configruation file from the following URLs:
http://www.itservices.hku.hk/service....Rel-k9.tar.gz
http://www.itservices.hku.hk/service.../hku4linux.pcf

2. Save the download files into a temp directory e.g. /tmp.

3. Unpack the download file with the following command:

zcat vpnclient-linux-3.7.2.Rel-k9.tar.gz | tar xvf �

This command creates the vpnclient directory in the current directory e.g. /tmp/vpnclient.

4. Obtain superuser privileges to run the install script.

5. Enter the following command in the vpnclient directory e.g. /tmp/vpnclient.

./vpn_install

6. Accept all the default values of the install script.

7. Copy the configuration file hku4linux.pcf to the directory /etc/CiscoSystemsVPNClient/Profiles/.

8. Reboot your computer.

[diegosuse]

Do not think about it . Save headaches and use openvpn. Hope helps