I sort of new to linux and learning as I go. I run a Red Hat 7.1 Linux server at work running poptop (vpn server) on a dsl line. My problem is connecting from my home. Using me cable modem, if connected directly through my workstation and using dhcp I can connect to the vpn. If I run through my home server running Red Hat 7.0 and assigned ip, I cannot connect. I get the following error message in /var/log/messages on the work server (Red Hat 7.1): Feb 12 00:46:02 mail pptpd[22614]: GRE: read(fd=6,buffer=bfffd8ec,len=8260) from network failed: status = -1 error = Protocol not available. I can ssh fine from the workstation to the workserver and can connect if I hook directly to the cable modem and use dhcp. What do I need to change and where to I need to change it???? Work server..?? Home server..?? BOTH servers run nat using ipchains..i.e. ipchains -A forward -s 0.0.0.0/0 -d 0.0.0.0/0 -j MASQ.

Just a thought... I'm assuming here that when it doesn't work you're attempting to use masquerading -- connecting "through" your home server. In other words, when your workstation is directly connected to your cable modem it works but when your workstation is connected to your home server which is then connected to the cable modem it breaks.

I don't think IP masquering can masquerade PPTP packets w/o a kernel patch.

Yes, connecting directly to cable modem with the workstation works. If I connect the cable modem to my home server, I can browse the Internet, so I am getting out, but am unable to connect to the vpn... I can connect to that server via ssh..

What kernel patch do I need..? or do you or anyone else have thoughts on solving this situation..One person I talked to says that this is just a routing issue and can be solved that way, but didn't give me much clue on how to do it...

"Getting out" and using SSH are both examples of using the TCP portion of TCP/IP protocol. AFAIK, IP masquerading on a Linux box would be better named TCP/IP masquerading, because it only masquerades TCP, UDP, and ICMP packets. I don't think PPTP uses those protocols -- I have a list at work, can't remember which ones it does use. Protocol # 50 and 51 I think (TCP is #6 I think).

Anyway, try this
http://freshmeat.net/projects/linuxv...rade/homepage/

I haven't tried this, but it looks like it will do what you want.

Oh, you'll just need this on your home server. You don't need this on your work server.