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Network Manager + VPN + Wireless = no go in Ubuntu 7.10

I am a little frustrated with Network Manager in Ubuntu 7.10. I have configured a VPN connection to Relakks.com, however I cannot connect to Relakks.com when I am using wireless. The only time Network Manager connects successfully is when I am using a wired connection.

In Ubuntu 7.04 I used the exact same set-up and it worked in both wired and wireless mode. But so far this is not working in Ubuntu 7.10.

The error I get is this:

From /var/log/syslog:

Oct 31 22:46:58 ubuntu NetworkManager: nm_vpn_service_process_signal():
VPN failed for service 'org.freedesktop.NetworkManager.ppp_starter', signal
'ConnectFailed', with message 'VPN Connection failed'.
Oct 31 22:46:58 ubuntu NetworkManager: VPN service
'org.freedesktop.NetworkManager.ppp_starter' signaled state change 3 -> 5.
Oct 31 22:46:58 ubuntu NetworkManager: VPN service
'org.freedesktop.NetworkManager.ppp_starter' signaled state change 5 -> 6.
Oct 31 22:46:58 ubuntu NetworkManager:
nm_vpn_service_stop_connection(): (VPN Service
org.freedesktop.NetworkManager.ppp_starter): could not stop connection
'Relakks' because service was 6.
Oct 31 22:46:58 ubuntu pptp[6190]: anon log[callmgr_main:pptp_callmgr.c:255]:
Closing connection (shutdown)
Oct 31 22:46:58 ubuntu pptp[6190]: anon log[ctrlp_rep:pptp_ctrl.c:251]: Sent
control packet type is 12 'Call-Clear-Request'
Oct 31 22:46:58 ubuntu pptp[6190]: anon log[call_callback:pptp_callmgr.c:78]:
Closing connection (call state)
Oct 31 22:46:59 ubuntu pppd[6185]: Modem hangup
Oct 31 22:46:59 ubuntu pppd[6185]: Connection terminated.
Oct 31 22:46:59 ubuntu pppd[6185]: Child process /usr/sbin/pptp 83.233.183.2
--nolaunchpppd (pid 6186) terminated with signal 15
Oct 31 22:46:59 ubuntu pppd[6185]: Exit.

Update - November 6th 2007

After a lot of searching, and thanks to some recent feedback at ubuntuforums.org I am happy to report that I have found a solution.

It appears that in Network Manager (nm-applet 0.6.5) pptp is hard coded to use eth1 which is fine for wired connections. If however you wish to use wireless you need to change the label of eth0 to eth1 and vice-versa. You need to edit:

/etc/udev/rules.d/70-persistant-net.rules

Mine looked like this at first:

# This file was automatically generated by the /lib/udev/write_net_rules
# program, probably run by the persistent-net-generator.rules rules file.
#
# You can modify it, as long as you keep each rule on a single line.

# PCI device 0x8086:0x4223 (ipw2200)
SUBSYSTEM=="net", DRIVERS=="?*", ATTRS{address}=="**:**:**:**:**:**", NAME="eth0"

which i then changed to:


# This file was automatically generated by the /lib/udev/write_net_rules
# program, probably run by the persistent-net-generator.rules rules file.
#
# You can modify it, as long as you keep each rule on a single line.

# PCI device 0x8086:0x4223 (ipw2200)
SUBSYSTEM=="net", DRIVERS=="?*", ATTRS{address}=="**:**:**:**:**:**", NAME="eth1"


After a reboot I am now able to connect to VPN using wireless in Network Manager.