Just can't get VPN connection [pptp] to work in latest version of KDE

[KDEnewbie]

Does anyone know if there is a bug with the usual kde network manager interface or am I missing a package/s?, the usual plasma applet seems to be all there, all the right boxes come up when clicking on the 'manage connections' button and i have entered my details the same as in previous versions but it just doesn't connect, no error message, just sits there doing nothing.

i should point out that i have for the first time ever, installed a beta version (raring beta 2) as i needed the latest kernel for my Samsung laptop, everything else is working very well on the whole, so could this be down to it being a beta version? or am I doing something wrong or missing packages?
I searched for network-manager-pptp and it was already installed by default.

I have never had any probs setting up a normal pptp vpn before in previous versions on other machines so if anyone knows anything about this I would be very grateful for any help as I really need to have this running and do NOT want to have to install windows on my laptop seeing as I have waited nearly 2 years for this model to be supported properly by the kernel.

[SteveRiley]

Open a console window and run

tail -f /var/log/syslog | tee vpntest.txt

This will display the last 10 lines in your syslog, wait for more, and capture the additional lines to the file vpntest.txt.

Now go to Network Manager and try the VPN connection. Wait for it to fail. Then return to the console window and press Ctrl+C. Now reply here with the contents of th file vpntest.txt.

[KDEnewbie]

Hi Steve, thanks for your swift reply, here is what I captured from the terminal

nick@nick-R530:~$ tail -f /var/log/syslog | tee vpntest.txt
Apr 11 18:44:15 nick-R530 NetworkManager[1155]: <info> Starting VPN service 'pptp'...
Apr 11 18:44:15 nick-R530 NetworkManager[1155]: <info> VPN service 'pptp' started (org.freedesktop.NetworkManager.pptp), PID 2190
Apr 11 18:44:15 nick-R530 NetworkManager[1155]: <info> VPN service 'pptp' appeared; activating connections
Apr 11 18:44:25 nick-R530 NetworkManager[1155]: <info> VPN plugin state changed: starting (3)
Apr 11 18:44:50 nick-R530 NetworkManager[1155]: <info> VPN connection 'Anonine' (Connect) reply received.
Apr 11 18:44:50 nick-R530 NetworkManager[1155]: <warn> VPN connection 'Anonine' failed to connect: 'Did not receive a reply. Possible causes include: the remote application did not send a reply, the message bus security policy blocked the reply, the reply timeout expired, or the network connection was broken.'.
Apr 11 18:44:50 nick-R530 NetworkManager[1155]: <info> Policy set 'Wired connection 1' (eth0) as default for IPv4 routing and DNS.
Apr 11 18:45:15 nick-R530 NetworkManager[1155]: <warn> error disconnecting VPN: Did not receive a reply. Possible causes include: the remote application did not send a reply, the message bus security policy blocked the reply, the reply timeout expired, or the network connection was broken.
Apr 11 18:45:18 nick-R530 NetworkManager[1155]: <info> VPN service 'pptp' disappeared
Apr 11 18:45:23 nick-R530 kernel: [  520.773743] [UFW BLOCK] IN=eth0 OUT= MAC=01:00:5e:00:00:01:00:14:7f:e4:b8:f7:08:00 SRC=192.168.1.254 DST=224.0.0.1 LEN=36 TOS=0x00 PREC=0xC0 TTL=1 ID=8107 DF PROTO=2 
Apr 11 18:45:37 nick-R530 kernel: [  534.473879] nf_conntrack: automatic helper assignment is deprecated and it will be removed soon. Use the iptables CT target to attach helpers instead.

pr 11 18:47:31 nick-R530 kernel: [  648.221005] [UFW BLOCK] IN=eth0 OUT= MAC=01:00:5e:00:00:01:00:14:7f:e4:b8:f7:08:00 SRC=192.168.1.254 DST=224.0.0.1 LEN=36 TOS=0x00 PREC=0xC0 TTL=1 ID=8125 DF PROTO=2 
Apr 11 18:47:54 nick-R530 NetworkManager[1155]: <info> Starting VPN service 'pptp'...
Apr 11 18:47:54 nick-R530 NetworkManager[1155]: <info> VPN service 'pptp' started (org.freedesktop.NetworkManager.pptp), PID 2217
Apr 11 18:47:54 nick-R530 NetworkManager[1155]: <info> VPN service 'pptp' appeared; activating connections
Apr 11 18:47:54 nick-R530 NetworkManager[1155]: <info> VPN plugin state changed: starting (3)
Apr 11 18:48:19 nick-R530 NetworkManager[1155]: <info> VPN connection 'Anonine' (Connect) reply received.
Apr 11 18:48:19 nick-R530 NetworkManager[1155]: <warn> VPN connection 'Anonine' failed to connect: 'Did not receive a reply. Possible causes include: the remote application did not send a reply, the message bus security policy blocked the reply, the reply timeout expired, or the network connection was broken.'.
Apr 11 18:48:19 nick-R530 NetworkManager[1155]: <info> Policy set 'Wired connection 1' (eth0) as default for IPv4 routing and DNS.
^C
nick@nick-R530:~$

[SteveRiley]

Well, this is a clue:

<warn> VPN connection 'Anonine' failed to connect: 'Did not receive a reply. Possible causes include: the remote application did not send a reply, the message bus security policy blocked the reply, the reply timeout expired, or the network connection was broken.'.

Can you connect to the same VPN server using an earlier build of Raring or a previous Kubuntu release? If so, then maybe there's a bug in the verison of Network Manager you have now.

[KDEnewbie]

Well, this is a clue:

<warn> VPN connection 'Anonine' failed to connect: 'Did not receive a reply. Possible causes include: the remote application did not send a reply, the message bus security policy blocked the reply, the reply timeout expired, or the network connection was broken.'.

Can you connect to the same VPN server using an earlier build of Raring or a previous Kubuntu release? If so, then maybe there's a bug in the verison of Network Manager you have now.

Steve, i just tried on one of my desktops which runs Kubuntu 12.04 but I recently enabled backports so have KDE 4.10.1 so getting the same thing, I did also try connecting from my windows machine and the vpn is working perfectly, I also tried from a virtualbox Linux Mint14 Mate and it connects from there fine.

i have attached a couple of screenshots of my settings (username blank for obvious reasons), I am wondering if i need to check the "System Connection" box, and I'm also wondering if I need to check the "stateful encryption" box, but I'm sure I tried all possible combinations throughout today earlier. When I try connecting, I look over at the router and the lights are not flashing as they should, no probs with standard internet connection and I'm using wired connection, so no wireless issues or whatever.

I would hate to have to install another DE, I have really started to love kde and do not want to install Mate or Cinnamon, if you or anyone else has any ideas, I would be forever grateful, I have double checked the illustrated guides on my vpn providors website and they only show the pictures of which boxes/settings to choose in the Gnome orientated network manager applets.

[KDEnewbie]

[SteveRiley]

Aren't the GNOME settings options pretty much the same as the KDE Plasma options?

There was an update to the Plasma widget with KDE 4.10, and there might be a PPTP-related bug. I don't have a PPTP VPN server to test, so I can't be certain. If I did, my next step would be to grab a packet capture and run it through Wireshark. That would tell me exactly where the connection is failing.

[KDEnewbie]

Aren't the GNOME settings options pretty much the same as the KDE Plasma options?

There was an update to the Plasma widget with KDE 4.10, and there might be a PPTP-related bug. I don't have a PPTP VPN server to test, so I can't be certain. If I did, my next step would be to grab a packet capture and run it through Wireshark. That would tell me exactly where the connection is failing.

Yes, the gnome settings optons are pretty much the same, maybe the kde one has a few extra options/choices, I guess it's not looking too good.

[Guest]

VPN Connection Works: Kubuntu 12.04

If anyone is still having this issue, I was able to kind of figure it out.
Hopefully these settings will assist you..

First off, can your current user activate the connection?
The first screen of the setup gives an Advanced Permissions button. Click it.
Your username will be on the left as an "Available User"
Click the > to send the username over to the "Users allowed to activate this connection".

Once that is done, enter the Gateway (router) address, your network login credentials, and leave Domain blank.

Next, click Advanced. (These are the settings for my server, maybe they work for yours to?)
For PPTP connection, the only check boxes that should be checked on this screen
Use MPPE Encryption, MSCHAP, MSCHAPv2, Allow BSD compression, Allow Deflate Compression, Allow TCP Header Compression.

That's it. As long as you use the correct login credentials, you should be connecting.

[KDEnewbie]

rootyourbrain, thanks for your input but yes, all steps & settings you mention are there correctly on my setup, still does nothing.

[SteveRiley]

I have moved the 13.10 VPN settings discussion to a new thread.

http://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?63952