Install and Configure PPTP VPN Client on (RHEL/CentOS/Ubuntu)

1. Install PPTP Client
   • Ubuntu/Debian

   sudo apt-get install pptp-linux

   • RHEL/CentOS/Fedora

   sudo yum install pptp

2. Modify chap-secrets /etc/ppp/chap-secrets and add the below line (replacing variables)
   

   $USERNAME   PPTP    $PASSWORD   *

3. Create a config file named vpn.domain.com in the directory /etc/ppp/peers, and add (replacing variables)

   pty "pptp $VPN_SERVER --nolaunchpppd"
   name $USERNAME
   remotename PPTP
   require-mppe-128
   file /etc/ppp/options.pptp
   ipparam vpn.domain.com

4. Register the ppp_mppe kernel module

   sudo modprobe ppp_mppe

   *Note that on a VPS, you will need to enable PPP through the VPS console.
    
5. Validate that the following options in /etc/ppp/options.pptp are not commented

   lock
   noauth
   refuse-pap
   refuse-eap
   refuse-chap
   nobsdcomp
   nodeflate
   require-mppe-128

6. Edit /etc/pppp/ip-up.d/route-traffic and add the following route

   #!/bin/bash
   NET="192.168.0.0/16" #< Modify according to your environment
   IFACE="ppp0"         #< Modify according to your environment
   #IFACE=$1
   route add -net ${NET} dev ${IFACE}

7. Connect to the VPN server
   • RedHat/CentOS

     sudo pppd call vpn.domain.com

   • Ubuntu/Debian

     sudo pon vpn.domain.com

8. Verify that the interface is up

   [root@localhost ppp]# ip a | grep ppp
   19: ppp0:  mtu 1488 qdisc pfifo_fast state UNKNOWN qlen 3
       link/ppp
       inet 198.23.230.10 peer 10.255.254.0/32 scope global ppp0

   • If the server will not start, look in /var/log/messages for errors from pppd