Tweaking airtel ADSL Modem (Beetel 220BX ADSL2+)

I wanted my computer behind the beetel 220BX adsl modem (Provided by Airtel) to be visible for outside world. Basically for hosting a counter strike server and for webserver. I searched all the config details in the webUI given by the 220BX, but I was not able to spot a setting with which I can do a port forwarding or NAT. Then i started searching the net with google. The first search query ("beetel 220BX virtual server configuration") I entered returned me the url "http://blogs.broadbandforum.in/airtel/?p=9" in the first row. I should be more than lucky, the page says how to access the hidden page in the router, the "main.html" which gives a lot more advanced configuration options and I found exactly what I was looking for. So I am happy, the blogger should be happy as he was able to help yet another needful soul.

~Happy Ending~

Linux PPTP VPN client configuration

It is faily easy to install the packages needed and hand configure the pptp client for a linux server. The pptp server is a windows 2003 server running RRAS. How ever from my experience what was more difficult is configuring the firewall to let the pptp traffic go through. Here is what I did to make a connection from Linux PPTP client to the RRAS.

• Installed pptp-linux
  
  
  
  • Optionally you can install pptpconfig which will make life easier with the client configuration part. For that You have to add the below source to your sources.list "deb http://quozl.linux.org.au/pptp/pptpconfig ./"
  
  
  
  


• Collected the server details needed
  
  
  
  • PPTP Server Name - vpn.yourdomain.com
  
  
  • VPN User Name - user1
  
  
  • VPN Password - passw0rd
  
  
  • Connection Name - vpn1
  
  
  
  


• Edited the file /etc/ppp/chap-secrets to add the line "user1 PPTP passw0rd *"


• created a file /etc/ppp/peers/vpn1. Entered the configuration details as below.

pty "pptp vpn.yourdomain.com  - -nolaunchpppd"

name user1

remotename PPTP

require-mppe-128

file /etc/ppp/options.pptp

ipparam vpn1

With this the configuration finished. You can start the tunnel by issueing

• 'sudo pppd call vpn1' or 'pon vpn1'.


• for debug info try 'sudo pon veveo debug dump logfd 2 nodetach'

To stop the pptp tunnel, do a "sudo pkill pppd". You will be able to see the connection status/details in "/var/log/messages"

For me this much was easy. This didnt worked for me straight away. Fair enough, then after a long search I could find that pptp to work through my Juniper Netscreen (ns25) firewall, opening tcp port 1723 is not enough, I should allow the "GRE Protocol" (protocol 47) pass through. I added a custom service for GRE and then everything was working fine.

I am planning to implement a linux SSL vpn server later when I get time. But anyway only after learning the advantages and disadvantages of the SSL VPN.