Introduction

With the default install, PPTP Client 1.7.0 and PPP 2.4.3 are included, as packages pptp-1.7.0-2 and ppp-2.4.3-15 respectively. The kernel on CD (2.6.13) has MPPE support already patched in, as module ppp_mppe size 15872 bytes.

Setup

Setup a tunnel using the provided SUSE programs: (a) in YaST2 select Network Devices then DSL, (b) add a custom provider with an Authorization User Name that matches your PPTP server account, (c) add a DSL device with PPP Mode set to Point to Point Tunneling Protocol and Modem IP set to your PPTP server IP address, (d) try the connection using Kinternet, and if it fails with an MPPE required warning edit the /etc/ppp/peers/pptp file and add require-mppe.

Notes

1. if you are using SUSE firewall, you may either turn it off by typing SuSEfirewall2 off, or reconfigure it as follows:
   1. open YaST,
   2. click on System which is on the left hand side,
   3. open the /etc/sysconfig Editor,
   4. click +Network then +Firewall then +SuSEfirewall2,
   5. add "1723" to FW_SERVICES_EXT_TCP,
   6. add "GRE" to FW_SERVICES_EXT_IP, FW_SERVICES_DMZ_IP, FW_SERVICES_INT_IP and FW_SERVICES_QUICK_IP (we're not sure if all four are required, it depends on where the server is in relation to your client, as far as the network interfaces are concerned),
   7. click FINISH.
   

   Note: the screen image above is an example from SUSE 9.2, we have also selected ssh for FW_SERVICES_EXT_TCP, but ssh is not required for operation of the tunnel. The example demonstrates how to add 1723 to an already configured rule.

2. SUSE 10.0 ships with a ten minute idle connection timer which affects PPTP tunnels. This is in their configuration file /etc/ppp/options, where it says idle 600. You can change this to idle 0.

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