Topic: /contrib/CharlieBrady/5.6-PPTP/

[Charlie]

Can anyone tell me if these rpms fix the pptp problem in SME5.6? If they are used what happens when the first patch comes out.

[Kelvin]

> Can anyone tell me if these rpms fix the pptp problem in SME5.6?

Not yet.

I've installed the modules onto my 5.6 server and am still having problems staying connected to my clients' SME servers (still on 5.1.2). If a fix does not come up soon, I might have to either downgrade back to 5.1.2 or use another routing system and keep 5.6 as a pure server.

> If they are used what happens when the first patch comes out.

I've been wondering this myself.

Kelvin

[guestHH]

Same results here, still very unreliable/uworkable connections after applying the above mentioned patches.

Anybody with success using the pptp connection with a 5.6 version?

guestHH

[guestHH]

Anybody from Mitel (Charlie) care to comment ?

Regards,
guestHH

[Ed]

From my experience, if you do not load the ip_conntrack_pptp.o and ip_nat_pptp.o modules, pptp functions just as well as 5.1.2, 5.5.
Look in the Bugs list.  I'm running 5.6 and my pptp is stable (Still only one connection between any two public ip addresses)

[Kelvin]

Hi RequestedDeletion,

I'm a little puzzled over this issue. From my perspective, PPTP is a BIG part of using and implementing SME servers (others might not agree). If my belief is right, then I'm surprised that this PPTP problem continues to be an issue after so long. Why ? Because, 5.6 have been available to paying customers before the GPL version became available to us. What's happening as far as the paying clients are concerned ?

Either :-

1. Paying clients don't use / don't care about PPTP (hard to believe, but possible)
or
2. Mitel has a fix for the paying clients but not releasing to GPL users (shock horror !)

Is the problem purely a Mitel SME issue or one which affects even the underlying RH version as well. If it does affect a stock RH system, what has the RH community done to fix it ?

One continues to wonder... the truth is out there.......

PS. By the way Ed, According to the SME Bug page, disabling the two modules kills outgoing PPTP connections. Are you saying it does not or are you only using your system for incoming connections ?


Kelvin

[Ray Mitchell]

Kelvin
Just to add my comment also. I used to connect from a workstation via a local 5.1.2 server to a remote 5.5 server quite OK using VPN pptp.

Since upgrading the local (outgoing) 5.1.2 to 5.6, assuming that most (all) things would work OK, my VPN pptp connections fail after a few minutes, and I get lots of the GRE errors in the remote 5.5 server, not in the local 5.6 server though.

I guess we just have to wait for the permanent fix as the bug fix disrupts outgoing connections, but like you I am also tempted to go back to 5.5 or 5.1.2 for a while until this significant issue is sorted out.

I've resorted to entering a remote host of 0.0.0.0 / 0.0.0.0 in server manager remote access panel so I can get GUI server manager access to the remote server. I turn this on using ssh and off when finished for security.

VPN to access the remote network is still a problem for more than a few minutes ie non-event !!

I did contact Mitel but have not heard anything from them as yet about resolving this problem permanently, so I guess this means they are still working on it, amongst other things.

Regards
Ray Mitchell

[Ed]

My experience is
1.  If you follow what the bug post says, you get back to the PPTP functionality you had in 5.5.  
   A.  I have two sites HOME (sme 5.6) and WORK (sme 5.5)
   B.  From a W2K workstation behind the servers, I can PPTP to the other without any problems.  Both from HOME to WORK and WORK to HOME.
(What I still CANNOT do is have two W2k workstation behind HOME connect to the same WORK server,  Could not do that in 5.5 either.  The ip_conntrack_pptp and ip_conntrack_nat should let you do that if and when it works.)

2.  From the bug pages "However, disabling these modules will prevent outgoing PPTP connections from working."  Can Mitel expand on this and be more specific?  

3.  I'm guessing that since 5.6 breaks a PPTP feature that is not present in 5.5, it is not an issue to their paying customers, yet...  

Ray, If you are using the Unsupported distribution, don't hold your breath on getting a response.  The are busy handling the paying customers.  Mitel has kindly provided these forums for support those who are using the unsupported distribution.
 
Ed

[Ray Mitchell]

Hi Ed
Thank you very much for that explanation.
I ran the fix suggested on the bugs page and after reboot I was able to make a VPN pptp connection for a good 30 minutes before I had had enough. It would have stayed up longer except I have to go home.
Thats via a local 5.6 sme to a remote 5.5 sme. The words in the bugs page about outgoing pptp via a sme 5.6 were misinterpreted, perhaps Mitel mean the multiple connections from W2K workstations that you speak of, but single outbound connections are OK with the fix in place.
Thanks
Ray Mitchell