Re: problem getting client to connect via pptpd

<rant>

On Mon, Jan 07, 2013 at 09:52:42PM +0000, [email protected] wrote:
> Quoting Greg Scott <[email protected]>:
> 
> >I'll back up James on that.  I probably have dozens of sites by
> >now with various PPTP servers, some Poptop, some Windows behind my
> >Linux firewalls.  By far, the absolute most common problem I see
> >are routers in front of my clients that don't know how to deal
> >with GRE.  In your case, it's a router in front of your PopTop
> >server, but it's the same issue.
> 
> Why have the companies making routers made this so difficult with
> pptp?
> With most of the other VPN protocols you can just install them on
> the client and get going.

Because PPTP predated consumer routers.

Because PPTP uses a very complex and unusual method of communication;
it establishes a TCP connection, then attempts a GRE stream; and this
requires special support in a router.

Because OpenVPN and other protocols use plain TCP or UDP connections,
which do not require special support in a router.

Because the companies making routers, if they test at all, have often
only tested briefly or with only Microsoft operating systems, or with
only one user behind a router.

Because the cost of testing has to be passed on in product selling
price, and to achieve a low price some testing has to be omitted.

Because most people don't need or use a VPN, so the demand is low.

> The issue really is that if you have clients in various different
> home, different ISPs, different routers, there is a huge overhead in
> trying to get them all connected as 75% of them, maybe more, don't
> know how to adjust router settings let alone anything in their
> Windows computer.

Yes.  There's no solution to such human ignorance yet.  Think of it as
evolution in action.  Raise your price to compensate, always.

</rant>

-- 
James Cameron
http://quozl.linux.org.au/

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Master Visual Studio, SharePoint, SQL, ASP.NET, C# 2012, HTML5, CSS,
MVC, Windows 8 Apps, JavaScript and much more. Keep your skills current
with LearnDevNow - 3,200 step-by-step video tutorials by Microsoft
MVPs and experts. SALE $99.99 this month only -- learn more at:
http://p.sf.net/sfu/learnmore_122412