[pptp-server] Netmask woes... Last thing I'm sure.

[Dread Boy]

OK.  Here goes.  I'm able to log in from anywhere with any SMB 
username/password combo, strip off the MS domain crap, and authenticate 
perfectly from Win95A, 95B, 98, 98SE, NT4, and 2000.  Cool.

However, my client's IP address always shows a netmask of 255.255.255.0 
which is correct.  My LAN is a private subnet 192.168.0.x (I've used Class 
"C" even though these are for a Class "B" network, no matter either way.)

Now, after the client connected, I could never, ever see any Windoze 
machines, including my Linux Samba server with WINS, DNS, remote announce, 
blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

This is because when I check the ppp0 interface with "ifconfig" the ppp0 
interface always shows a netmask of 255.255.255.255.  Of course this is 
quite futile if you want to view any of the 253 computers on your Class C 
network.  =(

I can run "ifconfig ppp0 netmask 255.255.255.0" and force the netmask, but 
this seems to make no difference after connection.  I still can not see even 
the samba server trying WINS, BCAST, or LMHOSTS.

I assume this is because I am stuck with that 255.255.255.255 netmasking 
door in my face.

I am running PoPToP 1.0.1 with ppp 2.3.11 and kernel 2.2.17.

I have an NT server at 192.168.0.1.  (Netmask 255.255.255.0)

I have a Linux SMB server at 192.168.0.2 with two network cards for gateway 
usage, etc.  192.168.0.2 is eth0 and my other IP is eth1.  My ipchains 
script is almost perfect for forwarding, blockage, etc.

I can see neither of these machines, or any other nodes for that matter.

I can connect remotely from other Windoze machines.

I read through the man pages for pppd and found the "netmask" option which 
is supposed to be placed in /etc/ppp/options.  However, when I add "netmask 
255.255.255.0" into the options file, it definitely isn't rejected by pptpd 
or pppd, but still 255.255.255.255 comes up on the ppp0 interface.  In the 
pppd man pages it states that "some O/Ses won't allow anything but"

What?!  I've read several threads on the mailing list of people having 
success with RedHat Linux.  What am I doing wrong?  I have RedHat 6.2 
(Originally kernel 2.2.14-5.0, now is 2.2.17 with GRE and ppp-2.3.11 with 
all of the MS patches which seem to be working fine.)

Argghhh!!!

How does one get by this?  I'm sure it's the last step to enabling MS 
clients to access our VPN.

Who's got the quick answer for this one?
_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.