Difficulty getting remote desktop/vpn to connect Linux to Win 10

[drjim]

I'm using Linux Mint Cinnamon vs 19. There are a couple of important Win 10 programs I need to access for my clinic. All our Windows computers at the clinic are linked to the server via remote desktop (RDP) and staff can access the server from home using a vpn app and remote desktop program. My IT guy (the company name is "Netlinux") says that he tried to access a Win 10 computer from linux with 3 RDP programs and none of them would work dependably. He followed this up by telling m that he'd read articles stating that linux had not developed a program that was able to reliably access Win 10 OS computers. He's a pretty sharp guy but I'm wondering if anyone has experience that proves him wrong? Anyone have good results accessing a Win 10 computer from Linux mint? If so, what RDP or VPN program worked for you?

Thanks,

Jim

[phd21]

Hi drjim,

There is no reason why you cannot connect to a remote computer from any other computer using any operating system assuming you have all the correct login information and necessary connection information and are using software with the same or compatible RDP protocols unless they require some proprietary software. You just have to know how. You will probably need the exact IP address and maybe MS Windows Server or Workstation's port number. You may also have to add firewall rules to your system for allowing incoming and outgoing to that ip address and port number and possibly other RDP ports. And If they only allow certain IP addresses, then you will have to contact them to add your IP address.

It is possible they may require you to use (connect to) their VPN server in which case you will need their openVPN (.ovpn) configuration file, or whatever VPN protocol they use and its configuration file, and its VPN login credentials which you can add through the Network Manager in the system tray and connect that way as well before using any RDP application.

You can search for "remmina" in the "Synaptic Package Manager (SPM)" and install all recommend and suggested packages and related packages (plugins), and or I recommend installing their official PPA as well, see below.

How to Install the latest Remmina RDC in Ubuntu 18.04/16.04 | UbuntuHandbook
http://ubuntuhandbook.org/index.php/201 ... 8-0416-04/

To install Remmina using the PPA method, open a console terminal, type in, or copy & paste, each line below one by one: Click "Select All" above command, right click the highlighted command, select Copy (or Ctrl+Insert), click in the console terminal window, and right click paste ("Shift+Insert" or "Ctrl+Shift+v"), repeat for each command. May need to restart your computer after installing these before using the first time.

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sudo add-apt-repository ppa:remmina-ppa-team/remmina-next

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sudo apt-get update

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sudo apt-get install remmina remmina-plugin-* libfreerdp-plugins-standard freerdp2-x11

Connect to a Windows PC from Ubuntu using Remote Desktop Connection - Digital Citizen
https://www.digitalcitizen.life/connect ... top-ubuntu

Use Remmina Remote Desktop Client (RDP) on Ubuntu 16.04 / 18.04 LTS | Website for Students
https://websiteforstudents.com/use-remm ... 18-04-lts/

How to Remote Access Windows 10 via Ubuntu and Vise Versa?
https://www.technig.com/remote-access-w ... ise-versa/

There are other RDP applications in the "Synaptic Package Manager (SPM)" as well "Krdc(krfb)", "xrdp"("xorgxrdp"), "rdesktop", vinagre, etc...


Hope this helps ...

[drjim]

Hi PHD21,

Thanks for the thorough information! Have you personally tried this and found that it works well?

This is the email my IT guy sent me. Does it make any sense to you?

"I messed with three VPN clients on a laptop running Mint last night for a few hours. The type of VPN you are running on the server is L2TP/IPsec with pre-shared key and that isn't the native VPN type that comes with the Linux OS. Linux uses the opensource OpenVPN. Here are the links I used last night, while I did get it work partially, there are other issues with the way it connects and wasn't holding a reliable connection over RDP, dropping the remote desktop every minute or so. In addition, it has an issue with the routing table that if you had it setup to work from your house, it would connect, but if you went somewhere else, it would need re-setup.

The community doesn't seem to have a proper implementation of L2TP/IPsec client for use in the Linux environment. The only correct way to do it would be to run Linux server or VM and run an open VPN server next to the current Windows based VPN solution. Anyway, here are the links I used to get it partially working, this isn't a solution I feel comfortable with that it would work reliably every time, but it may interest you to read it over.

This gets the client installed: https://www.cactusvpn.com/tutorials/how ... -on-linux/

This is the client configuration that kind of works:

https://www.aspkin.com/forums/ip-addres ... toral.html"

[phd21]

Hi drjim,

You are welcome...

No, I have not tried this before because I do not have anywhere to test it with nor do I have the required information.

But, I did a lot of research on this including for a student (Linux Mint member) at a University where some of their University websites are only accessible when connected to their VPN server(s).

Hope this helps ...

[phd21]

Hi drjim,

I (we) need more information.

It would help to know more about your system setup. If you run "inxi -Fxzd" and "lsusb" from the console terminal prompt, highlight the results, copy and paste them back here, that should provide enough information.

If you have an email or the instructions that were given to you by your clinic and or IT people, then I (we) would need to see those instructions without displaying your actual login username and passwords for the VPN and or RDP apps. If you do not want to provide the information in the open forum, then you can PM me.

So, it appears that you must connect to the clinic or 3rd party VPN server provider before you can use an RDP application which means they have a very secure setup.

There are conflicting comments and information with what you have given me so far. Your IT person states that to connect to your clinic you first have to connect to their VPN server which uses L2TP/IPsec VPN protocol and the link to cactus VPN is recommending SoftEther VPN protocol client? You can easily install the L2TP VPN packages from the "Synaptic Package Manager (SPM)", see screenshot, search for "vpn" and install the two L2TP packages, may require restarting the computer before using.


To install SoftEther VPN client using the PPA method, open a console terminal, type in, or copy & paste, each line below one by one: Click "Select All" above command, right-click the highlighted command, select Copy (or Ctrl+Insert), click in the console terminal window, and right click paste (or Shift+Insert), repeat for each command. May also require restarting the computer before using the first time.

Code: Select all

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:paskal-07/softethervpn

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sudo apt-get update

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sudo apt install softether-vpnclient

Usually, you are provided with a VPN configuration file regardless of what VPN protocol the VPN provider uses L2TP, SoftEther, openVPN, etc... which is used to connect to their VPN server(s) along with the username and password. It could be that the VPN provider has options for using openVPN, SoftEther, or L2TP and you could use whichever VPN protocol you want. OpenVPN and SoftEther are the most secure, L2TP is not secure. OpenVPN and L2TP are integrated with your Network Manager providing easy VPN setup and connection. I do not know if SoftEther will show up in the Network Manager or if that must be run from the console terminal prompt to make a VPN connection using that protocol.

Then, to actually use applications on your clinic servers they apparently have setup an RDP server, so you will need the RDP access (IP Address or URL) and RDP login information (username and password) for that as well.

If you can use an "openVPN" connection for accessing your clinic's network, then I would highly recommend using that or using L2TP because the SoftEther option is a much more involved process.

I have never used SoftEther VPN before although I obviously have some familiarity with it. The PPA instructions I gave in your post is one of the easiest ways to install SoftEther client.

Here is a link to how to connect to vpngate VPN servers using the SoftEther VPN client from a console terminal prompt. I do not know if there is a desktop GUI (graphical user interface) for SoftEther in Linux yet like the Network Manager; still researching this.

How to set up Softether VPN Client under Linux: Via vpngate.net - l think, therefore l am
http://lukeluo.blogspot.com/2013/11/how ... lient.html

This link below has much better SoftEther final instructions instead of manually trying to update routing tables, skip that, and just use this command after enable ip forward option in "/etc/sysctl.conf".

Code: Select all

sudo dhclient vpn_se

Setup SoftEther VPN Connection on Ubuntu | RapidVPN
https://www.rapidvpn.com/setup-vpn-softether-ubuntu

Hope this helps ...
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vpn_l2tp.jpg

[drjim]

Thanks phd21,

Great information. When you say "It would help to know more about your system setup. If you run "inxi -Fxzd" and "lsusb" from the console terminal prompt, highlight the results, copy and paste them back here, that should provide enough information." Are you talking about my Linux Mint system or the Windows 10 system that is running my server and where the vpn and RDP are set up that I need to access?

From what you wrote, it looks like my IT guy may not have been fully informed regarding Linux ability to access L2TP apps.

I don't fully understand everything you wrote but can probably figure most of it out and if not me, my IT guy should be able to.

Thanks again,

Jim

[phd21]

Hi drjim,

You are welcome...

Great information. When you say "It would help to know more about your system setup. If you run "inxi -Fxzd" and "lsusb" from the console terminal prompt, highlight the results, copy and paste them back here, that should provide enough information." Are you talking about my Linux Mint system or the Windows 10 system that is running my server and where the vpn and RDP are set up that I need to access?

Those commands results would help us know about your Linux Computer and are commonly asked for in this forum.

From what you wrote, it looks like my IT guy may not have been fully informed regarding Linux ability to access L2TP apps. I don't fully understand everything you wrote but can probably figure most of it out and if not me, my IT guy should be able to.

Yeah, I think your IT guy might not be as familiar with Linux Mint yet. Obviously, Linux Mint is supposed to handle L2TP VPN connections, but I have not tried these yet.

Update: I found a free L2TP VPN provider and it is working, see screenshots.

Welcome to Free L2TP VPN | Free L2TP VPN Service
https://www.freel2tpvpn.com/

Have you asked if there is an openVPN configuration option for accessing your work network?

Easily Connect to l2tp/IPsec VPN in Ubuntu 18.04 – BVZZ Design Blog
https://blog.bvzzdesign.com/2018/06/18/ ... utu-18-04/
- FYI Note: This worked whether I had the "xl2tpd" running or disabled


VPNTunnel: L2TP Installation Guide for Ubuntu 18.04 : VPNTunnel
https://help.vpntunnel.com/support/solu ... ntu-18-04-

Solved: L2TP VPN on Ubuntu 18.04 client - Ubiquiti Networks Community
https://community.ubnt.com/t5/UniFi-Rou ... -p/2492451

network-manager-l2tp/README.md at nm-1-2 · nm-l2tp/network-manager-l2tp
https://github.com/nm-l2tp/network-mana ... /README.md

Hope this helps ...
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vpn_l2tp_connection2.jpg

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vpn_l2tp_connection3.jpg