yfi_setup_pptpd

Preparing pptpd to work with YFi Hotspot Manager

WARNING: DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP - EVEN IF YOU DO NOT INTEND TO USE pptp!!!!!

Introduction

• Typical usage of YFi Hotspot Manager include that NAS devices behind NAT firewalls try to connect to the FreeRADIUS server running on the server where YFi Hotspot Manager is installed on.

• These NAT firewalls usually incorporate DHCP. With a changing IP the solution we use is to connect the NAS device via a pptp tunnel to the FreeRADIUS server.

• You can read up more about the technology VPN Discussion

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Setup Instructions

• Install the pptpd service

  sudo apt-get install pptpd
  

• Edit the config file of the server ( sudo vi /etc/pptpd.conf) and change the bottom part:

  # (Recommended)
  localip 10.20.30.1
  #remoteip 10.20.30.2-10.20.30.254
  #localip 192.168.0.1
  #remoteip 192.168.0.234-238,192.168.0.245
  # or
  #localip 192.168.0.234-238,192.168.0.245
  #remoteip 192.168.1.234-238,192.168.1.245
  

• This will cause the server to create a virtual interface with IP 10.20.30.1.

• Poin to point virtual connections can be set-up from the NAS devices, using this IP when you specify the RADIUS server's IP.

• Make the file where the clients to the pptpd program gets defiend writable by the user running Apache.

  sudo chown root.www-data /etc/ppp/chap-secrets
  sudo chmod 664 /etc/ppp/chap-secrets
  

• Restart the pptpd program to apply the changes

  sudo /etc/init.d/pptpd restart
  

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Creating pptpd clients

• This is done automatically in the background when you add a new VPN connected NAS.
• To get the detail which you have to supply the pptpd client program on the NAS device simply edit the nas device.
• It will be specified under the 'Optional Info' tab.

• The pptp client detail is fetched from the /etc/ppp/chap-secrets file.

Next we will setup YFi Hotspot Manager's housekeeping scripts: Cron setup