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Hotspot Shield with Ubuntu
Hotspot Shield is a free VPN service with a Microsoft Windows and MacOSX client. Recently, AnchorFree Inc released an iPhone VPN service too. Based on this service, it's possible to use Hotspot Shield with Ubuntu.
This might be of some interest for user who are not located in the USA. Since Hotspot Shield offers a US-based endpoint, you might want to use it for services currently unreachable due to geolocation measures.
The service uses L2TP (without IPSEC). Funny enough, this seems to be the worst supported protocol on Ubuntu, when it comes to easy configuration. Neither Network-Manager, nor KVpnc do support a simple setup.
If you're willing to use the terminal and a text editor, here's how you do it:
Before you configure your local computer, visit the Hotspot Shield for iPhone Website. Click on "Get Account ID" and save the information you're getting. In fact, you'll only need you username/password and the server IP. Don't forget to replace these credentials while editing the xl2tpd config as follows:
1) Install xl2tpd
sudo apt-get install xl2tpd2) Edit /etc/xl2tpd/xl2tpd.conf and add
[lac hotspotshield]
lns = HotSpotShieldServerIP
require chap = yes
refuse pap = yes
require authentication = yes
; Name should be the same as the username in the PPP authentication!
name = YourHotSpotShieldUsername
ppp debug = yes
pppoptfile = /etc/ppp/options.l2tpd.client
length bit = yes3) Create /etc/ppp/options.l2tpd.client with the following content
ipcp-accept-local
ipcp-accept-remote
refuse-eap
noccp
noauth
crtscts
idle 1800
mtu 1410
mru 1410
nodefaultroute
debug
lock
connect-delay 50004) Edit /etc/xl2tpd/l2tp-secrets, /etc/ppp/chap-secrets and /etc/ppp/pap-secrets, add
"YourHotSpotShieldUsername" HotSpotShieldServerIP "YourHotSpotShieldUsername"5) Start the deamon
sudo /etc/init.d/xl2tpd start6) Connect to HotSpot Shield
sudo su
echo "c hotspotshield" > /var/run/xl2tpd/l2tp-control
route add -net 0.0.0.0 dev ppp07) Disconnect from HotSpot Shield
sudo su
echo "c hotspotshield" > /var/run/xl2tpd/l2tp-controlIf you're running AdBlock Plus, you might notice some empty space on top of every page you're visiting. That's the HotSpot Shield advertising bar, which shows random commercial to finance their service. So either disable Firefox to allow AnchorFree to continue the service, or add "http://box.anchorfree.net/*" to your rule set.
Comments
Oh, and the alternative has
Oh, and the alternative has to be free (as in beer), of course. 8-)
Is there no network-manager
Is there no network-manager plugin? Seems to me there is a bit of conflict between the two devices. Similar problems arise when using ppoeconf.
Hello, # route add -net
Hello,
# route add -net 0.0.0.0 dev ppp0
SIOCADDRT: Aucun périphérique de ce type
i've got error after running xl2tpd -D
# xl2tpd -D
xl2tpd[1961]: setsockopt recvref[22]: Protocol not available
xl2tpd[1961]: This binary does not support kernel L2TP.
xl2tpd[1961]: xl2tpd version xl2tpd-1.2.5 started on omar-desktop PID:1961
xl2tpd[1961]: Written by Mark Spencer, Copyright (C) 1998, Adtran, Inc.
xl2tpd[1961]: Forked by Scott Balmos and David Stipp, (C) 2001
xl2tpd[1961]: Inherited by Jeff McAdams, (C) 2002
xl2tpd[1961]: Forked again by Xelerance (www.xelerance.com) (C) 2006
xl2tpd[1961]: Listening on IP address 0.0.0.0, port 1701
PLEEEEASE MARKUS
PLEEEEASE MARKUS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Spend a few minutes to clear up the confusion! Just copy and paste an example of the pap and chap files! I think that's where most of us made a mistake.
I wrote this comment after reading your tutorial 100 times, double and triple checking all the files (where I did not use quotation marks and stupidly just copy pasted everything you've written) and put in my own user name and the server ip i got from the hotspotshield site and reading all the comments as well!!!
STILL NO LOVE!!!
PLEEEASE Help!!!
This is where I got stuck:
root@andor-laptop:/# sudo etc/init.d/xl2tpd start
then terminal says:
Starting xl2tpd: root@andor-laptop:/#
then I type:
echo "c hotspotshield" > /var/run/xl2tpd/xl2tp-control
terminal says:
root@andor-laptop:/#
(now i think back where i started this doesn't look good, but I type anyway):
route add -net 0.0.0.0 dev ppp0
and then terminal says:
SIOCADDRT: No such device
so I say FCUK... This again...
And type:
xl2tpd -D
Terminal:
xl2tpd[3481]: parse_config: line 77: data 'lns = HotSpotShieldServerIP' occurs with no context
xl2tpd[3481]: init: Unable to load config file
Hey I need help please, I
Hey I need help please, I opened the confg file but I cant edit it, its read only, what should I do, If you got any help, use the email I entered in the format above... Much thanx
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