Configuring VPN connections with Linux clients
Close and Secret

© paxi , Fotolia
Linux clients sometimes need a little help to connect to Windows VPN servers.
Two benefits of tunneling are encrypted connections and access to resources behind the firewall. When it comes to interoperability, however, establishing these connections is sometimes difficult for Linux clients. Linux distributions often have issues with establishing virtual private network (VPN) connections with servers based in other environments, mainly because the GUI applications used to establish those connections have trouble staying in sync with the pace of Linux development. It is often two steps forward, and once step back: When each distribution ships, the shared libraries often get changed, and your favorite VPN application that used to work no longer succeeds with cross-platform connections. Recently the situation has improved. In this article, I look at some tips for establishing VPN connections from the Linux desktop.
A VPN creates a point-to-point tunnel over a public network. A number of protocols support VPN connections, including the following popular options:
- L2TP over IPsec – Cisco's primary tunneling protocol. L2TPv3 is the latest version, but make sure you choose a version appropriate for your network. Remember that two major implementations of IPsec are available in Linux systems. For example, older systems use FreeS/WAN or Openswan for IPsec. Newer systems with any version of the standard 2.6 kernel have native IPsec support.
- Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) – An older protocol that still is used in many Microsoft environments.
- Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security (SSL/TLS) – One of the most powerful interoperability protocols available SSL/TLS supports many types of VPN connections. OpenVPN [1], for example, is an SSL/TLS-based tunneling solution.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
Akamai Will Host kernel.org
The organization dedicated to cloud-based solutions has agreed to host kernel.org to deliver long-term stability for the development team.
-
Linux Kernel 6.14 Released
The latest Linux kernel has arrived with extra Rust support and more.
-
EndeavorOS Mercury Neo Available
A new release from the EndeavorOS team ships with Plasma 6.3 and other goodies.
-
Fedora 42 Beta Has Arrived
The Fedora Project has announced the availability of the first beta release for version 42 of the open-source distribution.
-
Dash to Panel Maintainer Quits
Charles Gagnon has stepped away as maintainer of the popular Dash to Panel Gnome extension.
-
CIQ Releases Security-Hardened Version of Rocky Linux
If you're looking for an enterprise-grade Linux distribution that is hardened for business use, there's a new version of Rocky Linux that's sure to make you and your company happy.
-
Gnome’s Dash to Panel Extension Gets a Massive Update
If you're a fan of the Gnome Dash to Panel extension, you'll be thrilled to hear that a new version has been released with a dock mode.
-
Blender App Makes it to the Big Screen
The animated film "Flow" won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature at the 97th Academy Awards held on March 2, 2025 and Blender was a part of it.
-
Linux Mint Retools the Cinnamon App Launcher
The developers of Linux Mint are working on an improved Cinnamon App Launcher with a better, more accessible UI.
-
New Linux Tool for Security Issues
Seal Security is launching a new solution to automate fixing Linux vulnerabilities.