Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)
Connecting using Dial-Up Networking
A
Allowing VPNs through a Firewall
An administrator interested in securing a network will usually combine the use of VPNs with the use of a firewall or some similar mechanism. This is because a VPN is not a complete security solution, but rather a component of overall security. Using a VPN will add security to transactions carried over a public network, but a VPN alone will not prevent a public network from infiltrating a private network. Therefore, you should combine use of a firewall with VPNs, where the firewall will secure the private network from infiltration from a public network, and the VPN will secure the transactions that must cross the public network.
A strict firewall may not be provisioned to allow VPN traffic to pass back and forth as needed. In order to ensure that a firewall will allow a VPN, certain attributes must be added to the firewall's provisioning. The provisions necessary vary slightly between ATMP and PPTP, but both protocols operate on the same basic premise: there are control and negotiation operations, and there is the tunnelled traffic that carries the payload of data between the VPN endpoints. The difference is that ATMP uses UDP to handle control and negotiation, while PPTP uses TCP. Then both ATMP and PPTP use GRE to carry the payload.
For PPTP negotiation to work, TCP packets inbound and outbound destined for port 1723 must be allowed. Likewise, for ATMP negotiation to work, UDP packets inbound and outbound destined for port 5150 must be allowed. Source ports are dynamic, so, if possible, make this flexible, too. Additionally, PPTP and ATMP both require a firewall to allow GRE
The following sections illustrate a sample filtering setup to allow either PPTP or ATMP traffic to cross a firewall:
■"PPTP example" on page 10-24
■"ATMP example" on page 10-26
Make your own appropriate substitutions. For more information on filters and firewalls, see Chapter 11, “Security.”.
