VPN that works reliably with Linux

February 1, 2013 7:38 AM

I am running Ubuntu 12.04 w/Gnome - I use proXPN for Windows machines, but have never been able to get it to establish a connection w/the Ubuntu laptop I have. I'm looking for recommendations for VPNs that work reliably with Linux where set-up is basic enough for a Linux novice to understand.
posted by ryanshepard to computers & internet (4 answers total)

I use OpenVpn with a Linux server and clients running Windows, Mac OSX and Linux. I found it fairly easy to use, but I am not a novice. There are a bunch of helper scripts, and one can always use it in pre-shared key mode (which is simpler but less flexible) if one doesn't want to get into the thickets of certificate management, but I don't know what that would mean in terms of difficulty to you.
posted by chengjih at 8:31 AM on February 1

OpenVPN is definitively the way to go. Setup takes a little messing around, but once you have it up and running works perfectly. If you have a machine you can set up as a dedicated gateway firewall/vpn server I highly recommend setting up an Untangle. Super easy setup with built in OpenVPN server that will create you clients for Windows and Linux with the push of a button.
posted by KeSetAffinityThread at 8:58 AM on February 1

I think OP is asking for a VPN service, not vpn software. Sadly i never used any vpn service so i cant offer any advice. from a quick glance at xpn's site it seems that they offer both pptp and openvpn solutions for pro accounts, have you tried using the latter? pptp support in linux is sketchy and requires loading modules.
posted by 3mendo at 1:05 PM on February 1

I use AlwaysVPN and it has worked well with all the Debian-based distros (including Ubuntu) I've thrown at it. Setup is easy to follow and well-documented on their support pages. You have to start it using a terminal command, which then prompts you to login, but after that it's plain sailing. Sadly, GUI support (i.e. not using the terminal) seems to be lacking, but the terminal login is really not that tough. With a bit of legwork I'm sure that can be automated.
posted by Juso No Thankyou at 12:30 AM on February 2 [1 favorite]