Monthly Archives: February 2018

Linux, Tech Support

Linux Client VPN using Meraki Cloud Controller authentication

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If you want to VPN into your network using the Meraki Cloud Controller the Client VPN Instructions indicate that you may be out of luck when trying to use xl2tp.

Note: The xl2tp package does not send user credentials properly to the MX when using Meraki Cloud Controller authentication, and this causes the authentication request to fail. Active Directory or RADIUS authentication can be used instead for successful authentication.
Note: The xl2tp package does not send user credentials properly to the MX when using Meraki Cloud Controller authentication, and this causes the authentication request to fail. Active Directory or RADIUS authentication can be used instead for successful authentication.

It turns out that if you setup the IPSEC phase1 and phase2 algorithms then it’ll work.

It took some googling to bring it all around but combined with the Project network-manager-l2tp Github issue 34 of  “IPSec options hard coded” and the Ubuntu question “L2tp IPSEC PSK VPN client on (x)ubuntu 16.04“, I found that setting IPSEC Phase1 Algorithms to 3des-sha1-modp1024 and Phase2 Algorithms to 3des-sha1 works.

Phase1 Algorithms: 3des-sha1-modp1024 Phase2 Algorithms: 3des-sha1
Phase1 Algorithms: 3des-sha1-modp1024 Phase2 Algorithms: 3des-sha1

Now I can connect to the VPN no problem. On Arch Linux!