How to connect to the UCLA Statistics VPN
It is hard to connect from an Arach Linux machine to the VPN provided by UCLA Statistics. We assume that you have Gnome and NetworkManager installed. Even then, you have to push the right buttons, and here are those buttons (as of the writing of this post):
- Intsall
networkmanger-l2tp
andlibreswan
packages in Arch Linux. - Go to Settings | Network and click
+
to add a VPN network.- Select Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP)
- Name the network however you like.
- Enter
vpn.stat.ucla.edu
for the Gateway. - Under User Authentication, leave the type as Password and enter your Stat. UCLA username and password. (God knows what these are, but the staff can help.)
- Leave the checkbox Use L2TP ephemeral source port unchecked.
- Click on the IPSec Settings button:
- Enter
3des-sha1-modp1024
for the Phase1 Algorithms. - Enter
3des-sha1
for the Phase2 Algorithms.
- Enter
- Click on the PPP settings button:
- Only check
MSCHAPv2
for the authentication.
- Only check
- You may still not be able to connect. (You didn’t think it was that easy, did you?) Then,
- Disable
PFS
in IPSec settings (PFS stands for Perfect Forward Secrecy).
- Disable
This guide may also work for other Linux distributions.
DISCLAIMER: This guide is provided for purely educational purposes. I take no responsibility for any consequences the may result from following these instructions.