[pptp-server] Linux PoPToP server can't find free connections/IPs

[Brian Aust]

Guys,

I'm trying to get a Linux PoPToP server working here at the office to allow
roaming 98/NT clients access to our internal NT fileservers...

Here's the basics of my setup:

Company real IP addresses:  207.9.99.64-207.9.99.150

Company internal fake NAT'd addresses:  10.1.1.1-10.1.1.99 and
10.2.1.1-10.2.1.99

Linux PoPToP server is NATALIE, with fake IP of 10.1.1.69, but NAT gives it
a real IP address of 207.9.99.146

My test W98 client is at my apartment, with a persistent RoadRunner cable
modem connection, real IP address of 24.25.30.238

NATALIE is running RedHat Linux 6.2.  All I did was install the PoPToP 1.0.0
RPM, and put the PPTPD.init file in the /etc/rc.d/init.d directory.

Changed the line in pptpd.init to /usr/sbin/pptpd -d   per the HOWTO.

Added a line in /etc/ppp/chap-secrets as:
     baust  *  mypass  *

I have lock, debug, auth, +chap, and proxyarp all in the options file in
/etc/ppp

And finally, in the /etc/pptpd.conf file, i have the following:
     localip 10.1.1.1-99
     remoteip 24.25.30.238    #this is my RoadRunner IP address

(BTW -- i have also tried localip 207.9.99.147-148 in case it wanted real ip
addresses locally, instead of NAT'd ones)


Then, I fired up /usr/sbin/pptpd -d

On Windows98 client, i made a DialUpNetworking item connecting to
207.9.99.146 (NATALIE's external IP), and tried to connect.

Watching NATALIE, i get the following line at the bash prompt when W98 box
tries to connect:
     "No free connection slots or IPs available - no more clients can
connect!"


Lastly, here's the lines from the /var/log/messages file:


Jun 15 02:03:56 bnyatalie pptpd[9340]: MGR: Manager process started
Jun 15 02:04:03 bnyatalie pptpd[9340]: MGR: No free connection slots or IPs
- no
 more clients can connect!
Jun 15 02:04:03 bnyatalie pptpd[9341]: CTRL: Client 24.25.30.238 control
connect
ion started
Jun 15 02:04:03 bnyatalie pptpd[9341]: CTRL: Starting call (launching pppd,
open
ing GRE)
Jun 15 02:04:03 bnyatalie kernel: CSLIP: code copyright 1989 Regents of the
Univ
ersity of California
Jun 15 02:04:03 bnyatalie kernel: PPP: version 2.3.7 (demand dialling)
Jun 15 02:04:03 bnyatalie kernel: PPP line discipline registered.
Jun 15 02:04:03 bnyatalie kernel: registered device ppp0
Jun 15 02:04:03 bnyatalie pppd[9342]: pppd 2.3.11 started by root, uid 0
Jun 15 02:04:03 bnyatalie pppd[9342]: Using interface ppp0
Jun 15 02:04:03 bnyatalie pppd[9342]: Connect: ppp0 <--> /dev/pts/2
Jun 15 02:04:07 bnyatalie pptpd[9341]: CTRL: Error with select(), quitting
Jun 15 02:04:07 bnyatalie pptpd[9341]: CTRL: Client 24.25.30.238 control
connect
ion finished
Jun 15 02:04:07 bnyatalie pppd[9342]: Modem hangup
Jun 15 02:04:07 bnyatalie pppd[9342]: Connection terminated.
Jun 15 02:04:07 bnyatalie pppd[9342]: Exit.    



So....   it somehow doesn't work, and my W98 client gets a 650 error message
in the DUN client.

Any ideas what i might have going wrong?  I'm not trying to use M$
authentication at all... plain cleartext authentication.

The only other thing i might mention (since i don't know if it's an issue)
is that my PoPToP server is sitting behind a CheckPoint Firewall-1 4.0
firewall.  BUT... i have a rule defined that allows ALL traffic on ALL ports
to make it through into the PoPToP server, so i can't see this being an
issue.  And the error message of "no free ips" doesn't seem related to a
firewall, either.

Any help you might be able to provide would be endlessly appreciated!!

Cheers from North Carolina,
Brian Aust
baust at healthdec.com

(Real IP addresses are modified for security)


Brian R. Aust
Manager of Information Technology
Health Decisions, Inc.
1512 East Franklin St.  Suite 200
Chapel Hill, NC   27514
919.967.2399 x247
baust at healthdec.com