Running Systems

Update to 0.2. Links remain the same. At the moment I cannot host many versions (it’s mostly uncomfortable), but this might change in the future.

I have created a GUI cables installer and configurator for L2TP on Linux.

I have noticed that there is no GUI solution, so, after this has been brought up, I have done it (!!!)

I have uploaded these files here, and you are welcome to use them.

Remember – they are designed for a blank Ubuntu (currently. More distros will be supported in the future, upon request) with not much of junk installed. Also – they are designed for the simple user. Double-click and run. That’s it.

Quoting my readme file:

L2TP Cables connection in Israel (and across the world, where relevant) by Ez-Aton

—About:
This is an installer and configurator for L2TP over cables in Israel
With some luck, by running this installer, you will be able to connect
to the Internet with a dialer!

The system assumes you have little technical knowledge of Linux and you
are not expected to have any. Follow the defaults, and you should be fine.

This configuration will be cross distro in the future, meaning it will work
both on your Ubuntu, your RHEL, your Centos, Mandrake, etc. In order for me
to be able to do so, please assist by sending information on systems I am
not familiar with yet, per the appendix at the bottom.
Also, you can feel free to send me info in case the system did not work for
you (and let me know what are the differences from a default installation),
or, as always, send me money.

Visit my technical blog for updates and all kind of other technical stuff, at
http://run.tournament.org.il

OSS work is meant to be based on others work, and that I have done. I would
like to thank (and mention below) the resources for without this would not
have happened.

I hope you enjoy this dialer!

Ez

—How to use
Simply double-click on the “cables” icon on your desktop, and the system will
get you connected.
For CLI utilization: Run /usr/local/bin/cables

—Tools and resources used:
To create this package I have used the following tools and resources
makeself http://megastep.org/makeself/
xl2tpd by http://www.xelerance.com/software/xl2tpd/
xl2tpd guide for Israel Cables http://stuff.pulkes.org/l2tp/
ISP LNS list http://www.cables.org.il/cable-vpn/vpn.html
My connect/disconnect scripts from http://run.tournament.org.il

—License
This package contents are under GNUv2 license, meaning you have full permission
to modify the contents of this package, except for the binary packages included
with it, where you are binded by their respective licenses.

—My Distro/ISP is not supported!
Well, these things happen. Over 300 distros our there, and I can’t have them all.
However – you have your own distro, right? For me to add it to this package
(assuming you don’t want to do this yourself) you will have to supply me with the
following info:
* What distro, kernel and version, and how you get the distro name
(for example – on Redhat – /etc/redhat-release. On Ubuntu – /etc/lsb-release)
* The file containing the version inforamtion (see above)
* The versions available from your repositories of xl2tpd or l2tpd for older
releases, and where you can get them
* Your ISP, your ISPs LNS names/addresses
* Your country
* All other info you think relevant

—Change log
0.2 – Added ability to enter manual LNS address. Added Orange LNS. Fixed fixroute to allow both IP and hostname without problems. Fixed cables connection script to run fixroute anyhow.
0.1 – Initial release

Download it here: cables_connect.sh

If you want the scripts and sources (not for the simple user!), you can get there here: l2tp-cables

This post will offer several tips and tricks for wiring cables into new rack closets. It uses pictures as a demonstration of what to do and what not to do. It is based on a job I have taken part in with several other companies, moving the server farm to a new location. This job included rewiring new rack closets, and these pictures are based on work I and another team have done.

Since this post includes many pictures, I have decided to split it into this description, and the real contents.

I have noticed there is no fixed guide for L2TP for cable connection in Israel. Since I’ve been doing just this thing today, I’ve decided to put online my own comments on the issue, with hope it would help other people too.

Subject: L2TP cables connection to an ISP called Actcom in Israel, using Fedora Core 3

Requirements: FC3 does not come with any L2TP tools and/or configuration packages.

Solution, strongly based upon this site

*) Download and install l2tp packages for FC2/3 from this site. Note that you have to download the rp-l2tp package.

*) Save, with run permissions, the fixroute.txt fixroute script. This script is required so you would have your routing table set correctly. Note, it is a txt file, but a script in the same time.

*) Save this following conf file in your /etc/l2tp as /etc/l2tp/l2tp.conf l2tp.conf.txt

*) Save this following rp-l2tp.txt startup script in /etc/init.d/ as /etc/init.d/rp-l2tp . Note – this script understands the command “chkconfig” . Also note that, as said inside this script, this script assumes l2tpd is running.

*) Make sure l2tpd is running! Add a line such as
lt:3:respawn:/usr/sbin/l2tpd -f

to your /etc/inittab file. It will make sure this daemon will always be resurracted.

*) To set automatic reconnection, replace your /etc/ppp/ip-down script with the following script ip-down.txt

*) Make sure (one of?) your network interface is connected correctly to the Cables modem, that there’s link, and that the interface is defined to use DHCP.

*) Set your /etc/ppp/pap-secrets with something which looks like this:

“username” * “password”

*) Add to /etc/ppp/options the lines:

lock
defaultroute
lcp-echo-failure 2
lcp-echo-interval 30

*) Run init q to reload /etc/inittab, and force the loading of l2tpd.

*) Run /etc/init.d/rp-l2tp start to start the internet connection. With luck, you should be up and running. Add this script to the startup sequence by running “chkconfig –level 35 rp-l2tp on”

Done and done. Good luck.