BEFSR41 Linksys Router & VPN Setup

I appreciate the information everyone has supplied and I was able to extract some info. but could someone explain step by step how to set up this vpn thru my linksys router? My router is linksys befsr41 and want to vpn into my windows 2000 professional box.

Also - if I've multiple pc's on my network - how do I connect to each pc thru vpn and select what pc i want to remote into using realvnc. Please advise.

Thank You,

Dave

On 27 Oct 2004, Leythos posted some news: snipped-for-privacy@news-server.columbus.rr.com:

I run multiple VPN's between 2003 servers using BEFSR41 routers. They've worked perfectly since day one with never a problem.

PPTP/GRE work fine with a BEFSR41. So do GRE and IPSEC tunnels between Cisco routers behind BEFSR41's. Takes about a minute to set up a Linksys '41 to do this.

Hey I didn't realize I was going to start a long discussion here.. Alot of usefull information.

I guess going back to my original question and looking thru the previous posts here it is:

1. What ports do I need to turn on and forward on my router?
2. What else needs to be configured on my router?
3. I will be connecting remote from work using client(work) to host(home) passing through my router. Using connection wizard on 2000 or xp os.

Simple instructions would be usefull. Remember this is my linksys befsr41 router that I have to pass through to get into my pc at home. Also, I've tried alot of different setups to get this working but failure has been the end result. So if someone has there setup working please email me instructions.

Thank You,

Tvos

snipped-for-privacy@ureach.com

snipped-for-privacy@ureach.com wrote in news:1099201388.005138.131960 @f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

There are two kinds of VPN connections that i know of. One is hardware to hardware VPN connections like router to router.

The second kind is software VPN connection is software to software like AT&T Extranet VPN software Client and Host software.

There is plenty of information on how to set a Win 2K Pro O/S (which would be O/S VPN to O/S VPN connection or software to software VPN connection using IPSec doing a search with Google or Dogpile.

A router VPN (hardware) to a Win 2K Pro O/S (software) VPN solution is????

Duane :)

snipped-for-privacy@ureach.com wrote in news:1099201388.005138.131960 @f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

There are two kinds of VPN connections that i know of. One is hardware to hardware VPN connections like router to router.

The second kind is software VPN connection is software to software like AT&T Extranet VPN software Client and Host software.

There is plenty of information on how to set a Win 2K Pro O/S (which would be O/S VPN to O/S VPN connection or software to software VPN connection using IPSec doing a search with Google or Dogpile.

A router VPN (hardware) to a Win 2K Pro O/S (software) VPN solution is????

Duane :)

that because a BEFSX doesnt do PPTP but is you look on the vpn page it DOES do PFS and 3DES etc with encription to 1028 bit.

KK

Your BEFSX41 unit can do PPTP to the ISP (which is not the same thing), but I don't see a PPTP setting under the VPN setting on the one I have with the latest firmware.

Well, I have a BEFVP41, a BEFSX41, and a BEFSR11 unit with the latest firmware that don't work, but the D-Link did. After installing the D- Link, and after testing several different versions of firmware on the BEFVP41 and BEFSR11 I found that I could not get GRE out-bound to work like I could in prior installations (over 5 rev's of firmware ago). I went to Linksys's website and found a document on doing PPTP in-bound sessions that indicate you now have to FORWARD PORT 47 IN-BOUND even though it should be Protocol 47 and not port 47. I have not taken the time to setup TCP PORT 1723 AND TCP PORT 47 for a test.

Your experience with the BEFSR41 is the same as mine in prior installations where needing in-bound PPTP sessions - it seems that the newer firmware, since CISCO bought them, has changed this.

Leythos,

I appreciate the info. and I understand about security issue's thru work, home, or other remote locations.

I've been able to setup the vpn connection using my lan network w/no problems. I noticed when the vpn connection from the client to the host display properties show the following:

Device: Wan Miniport (PPTP) Device Type: vpn Server Type: PPP Transports: TCP/IP Authentication: MS Chap V2 Encryption: MPPE 128 Compression: MPPC PPP Multilink framing: off Server IP: lan assigned Client IP: lan assigned

I've opened the following ports from my router: 47,50,500,1723 and forwarding them to my static ip assigned pc I want to vpn to. Both udp/tcp are selected.

Also - the filters page of the linksys router have the following checked as on. Multipass thru:, Ipsec Pass thru, Pptp pass thru:

Is it possibly that the wrong protocol is being used to connect into and suppose to be ipsec, pptp?

Any ideas - would be helpfull..

Tvos

If you look far enough back in the thread you will find that I never asked/claimed that the linksys unit could be an end-point - I was unable to get it to pass PPTP IN-BOUND to the VPN Server. Actually, it passed it in-bound, but it would not permit GRE out-bound.

The D-Link units act as PPTP End-Points and also fully support PPTP in- bound to VPN servers without any problems.

As it turns out, it appears that Firmware since CISCO bought Linksys has broken the ability to fully support PPTP In-Bound sessions being passed through to a VPN server on the LAN side of the network.

Before I answer your question, do you have permission to connect to your home computer from work? If so, I bet that your IT department could easily tell you how to do it.

Connecting to your unsecured computer at your home, through company resources, risks compromising your entire company network (it only takes seconds).

A safer method, one that won't get you fired for violation of the company security policy, would be to burn what you need to CD-R or DVD.

Leythos,

I will give that a try and see what happens. I just want to be able to learn how to setup this vpn stuff for security and knowledge. It doesn't seem to tough when there's a router/firewall involved..:)

Question - I am thinking of buying the Linksys VPN router - do ports need to be open for connections to pass through?

Also, once I am successfull with vpn - how do I go about setting up vnc sessions, mounting drive volumes etc..etc. Right now I am using vnc into my pc by port forwarding to my static ip but I want vpn connection.

Dave

From what Linksys states, I think, you only do TCP, not UDP (both), and you only need 1723 TCP and 47 TCP with PPTP pass-through enabled.

I was unable to get this working on a BEFSX41, BEFVP41, and a BEFSR41/11 units. I did manage to get it working the D-Link DI-808HV unit I bought to replace the Linksys unit.

The old firmware in the BEFSR41 units, before CISCO, supported PPTP in- bound sessions and it worked perfectly.

It depends on what you mean by pass-through. If you setup two units with a IPSec tunnel between them, then you don't need to "forward" any ports, both sides are completely exposed to each other - unless you purchase a firewall that's normally the case in the SOHO units.

Again, see above - a real firewall will let you setup a Tunnel, but it won't let you do anything other than create the tunnel until you also create a rule that permits traffic between the sides through the tunnel.

Leythos,

Understood... I've tried and have basically exhausted every attempt made by getting this vpn to work. A friend who has cable modem with comcast tried connecting into my network via vpn didn't work either.

I installed a log viewer from linksys to monitor to the inbound traffic but it looks like his inbound vpn connection wasn't registering in my logs. I wonder if I'm doing something wrong in the setup config part of it?

Tvos

I use WallWatcher and have it setup to display INBOUND LAN (and log inbound), in WW I could see the 1723 make it in (to the local IP) and

1723 make it out, but I could not see GRE (WW doesn't log it) - that's what was killing me on testing - I figured if 1723 was working that GRE would also work (as it did in the older firmware).

If you install WallWatcher, enable logging in the router, and don't see

1723 inbound to a local IP, then you don't have your internet connection or your VPN setup right on the client side - meaning it's never making it to the server.

Leythos,

I've been using linksys logview and am impressed by the application. I have it setup for inbound/outbound connections. I will try it again and see what happens. Btw: What is "GRE" mean?

Tvos

Leythos,

I've been using linksys logview and am impressed by the application. I have it setup for inbound/outbound connections. I will try it again and see what happens. Btw: What is "GRE" mean?

Tvos

Leythos,

I've been using linksys logview and am impressed by the application. I have it setup for inbound/outbound connections. I will try it again and see what happens. Btw: What is "GRE" mean?

Tvos