PPP through ssh?

[Saravana Ram]

> To couple two sites through a secure internet connection (without paying big
> bucks, read: for free), shouldn't it be OK to use PPP via an ssh tunnel? Are
> there any known drawbacks to that approach?

Exactly this is described in one of the Linux mini-HOWTO's (Firewall+VPN
mini-HOWTO, if memory serves me right).

Advantages? Easy to set up, and PPP and ssh are already available on most
Linux boxes without the need to redo kernels.

Disadvantages? If you want multiple vpn connections between multiple networks
(ie star configuration), you will need to set up separate point-to-point
links, which will suck up memory (think 6 instances of ppp and ssh running,
pumping data at full bandwidth) and is routing-hell.

Alternatives are CIPE, S/WAN, and the IP tunnels that come with Linux. (I
don't know how to use that though)

If you intend to expand, go IPSec with S/WAN.

howto's: http://www.linux.org/help/
s/wan: http://www.toad.com/gnu/swan.html
cipe: http://sites.inka.de/sites/bigred/devel/cipe.html


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