HowTo: Linux PPTP VPN Setup
Install the Network Manager PPTP plug-in
- Go to the System menu in the taskbar, expand the Administration menu and click on Synaptic Package Manager.
- In the search box, enter “pptp” and hit enter.
- Click the box next to “network-manager-pptp” and select Mark for installation. If the network-manager-pptp is already installed (the check box will be gray), exit the Synaptic Package Manager and proceed to VPN setup instructions below.
- The system may prompt you to install additional necessary components. Click on the Mark button to select the additional components.
- Click the green check mark in the toolbar to apply all selected changes and install the PPTP plug in.
- When prompted to apply the changes, click the Apply button.
- Close the Synaptic Package Manager
Setup the PPTP connection
- Expand the System menu and click on Network Connections to open the Network Connections control panel
- Click on the VPN tab. If the Add button on the VPN tab is grayed out, follow the instructions above to install the PPTP plug-in.
- Click the Add button to add a new VPN configuration.
- When prompted to choose a VPN connection type, choose Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) and click the Create button.
- In the Connection name: textbox, enter “It’sVPN! (PPTP)“
- In the Gateway field enter the address of a server. Check the info on your It’sVPN! account page. There you will find the available server(s).
- In the User name: textbox, enter your It’sVPN! login.
- In the Password: textbox, enter yourIt’sVPN! password.
- Click the Advanced button to bring up an additional settings dialog.
- Check the Use Point-to-Point encryption (MPPE) box.
- Click the OK button
- Click the Apply button (you may be prompted to enter your password to store the configuration securely)
- Restart Network Manager (The best way we have found to restart Network Manager is to open a terminal and type “sudo /etc/init.d/network-manager restart“. This will disconnect all of your network connections)
Establish a secure connection
- In the taskbar, click on the Network Manager applet (looks like two block monitors, one in front of the other) to bring up the connection menu
- Expand VPN Connections and select It’sVPN! (PPTP).