What is PPTP VPN?
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The retired predecessor of modern VPN protocols
PPTP (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol) is the oldest VPN protocol for general use. It is so old that it was originally designed for tunneling dial-up connections; Just like dial-up connections, PPTP is now obsolete, and has been replaced by more advanced modern protocols such as OpenVPN and WireGuard.
While it is rarely used nowadays, PPTP still has a set of privileges that some other protocols lack. The protocol that is now 22 years old is still among the fastest, plus it is very easy to set up even for the less tech-savvy users.
PPTP VPN, on the other hand, comes with some glaring security holes, which makes it less than ideal in a world of already transient privacy and anonymity. However, PPTP is still offered by almost every VPN provider.
If your questions are “What exactly is PPTP?” “What made it so great?” and “How did we abandon her?” Below is a summary of the veteran protocol’s history and use cases.
a little bit of history
The PPTP protocol came into general use in 1999, while a beta version was available as early as 1997. The protocol was developed by the vendor consortium consisting of Microsoft, Ascend Communications, 3Com, and others. Initially, PPTP was designed as an improvement over PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol).
PPP is a “normal” data link layer communication protocol that connects two routers without hosts. What VPN PPTP does is encapsulate PPP packets, allowing a data tunnel to be formed between two points in the network.
Tunneling is the process of transmitting data from one network to another. This process forms the backbone of VPN connections, as it creates a “tunnel” around your data, repackages it, and allows it to be sent over the Internet.
However, a tunneling by itself does not make data streams private, which is why VPN providers handle encryption to hide all information in transit. On the other hand, encryption would be impossible without tunneling and encapsulation, allowing data to be recombined in the first place.
The original PPTP implementation was a protocol for Windows 95, allowing users to connect to remote private networks. The primary use of PPTP back in the day was to connect to private enterprise servers in a corporate setting. It grew faster than its original use and formed the basis of the VPN protocols we use today.
How does PPTP work?
Like all VPN protocols that came after, the PPTP client creates a tunnel (connection) to the PPTP server. This PPTP tunnel allows data to be sent to another point on the network – in this case, the VPN server – which then forwards it to the target server (for example, a site you are trying to access). The data that the VPN server receives from the web page is then sent to the user.
When it comes to VPN protocols, all data transmitted back and forth through VPN servers is encrypted, preventing ISPs, government agencies, or malicious third parties from spying.
Again, this whole process would be impossible without the primary purpose of PTPP – encapsulation. This turns all of your network data into an IP packet, allowing the VPN servers to act as proxies for you.
As we explained above, PPTP relies on the client-server model to function. The encrypted tunnel created between the PPTP VPN client and server passes through TCP port 1723, while the inclusion uses the GRE (Generic Routing Encapsulation) protocol.
This network connection operates in Layer 2 of the OSI model. If you want to get technical, OSI is an abstract model of how protocols and devices on a network communicate. The data link layer, where PPTP operates, is the second of seven layers in the OSI model.
When configuring a PPTP tunnel connection between a client and a server, PPTP supports two types of information: control messages and data packets.
- control messagesIt, as the name implies, manages the VPN connection, including turning it off when needed.
- data packetsOn the other hand, it contains all the information that passes through the tunnel. This is basically the “core” of your connection, and includes all the data about the sites you connect to, your actions on those sites, etc.
PPTP relies on Microsoft RAS (Remote Access Service) to set up remote access to Windows PPTP VPN servers. The server administrator can use a modem bank as a connection point for remote users. Since PPTP is based on the PPP protocol (more on that later), all the supported communication protocols from RAS can be transmitted through the connection: TCP/IP, NetBEUI, and IPX/SPX.
To establish a connection, PPTP requires only the server address, username, and password. Furthermore, there are two types of PPTP tunneling supported by this protocol:
voluntary tunnels
This type of tunnel is initiated by the customer/user. It does not require any additional hardware or network hardware – eg, a router – to work. When you use VPN services as a consumer, voluntary tunnels are the only type of tunnels that will happen.
Compulsory digging tunnels
The forced tunneling is initiated by the server, not the client. With mandatory tunneling, the VPN server requires remote access privileges as well as a router to function. Forced tunneling is primarily used in corporate environments to force all corporate devices to be protected by a VPN.
PPTP encryption
The PPTP specification does not include encryption or authentication. Instead, it relies on the PPP tunneling protocol for connection security. This is because the implementation of PPTP in Windows products, which is the original basis for the protocol, uses Microsoft Point-to-Point encryption to protect data.
Microsoft Point-to-Point encryption supports three encryption systems: a 40-bit key, a 56-bit key, and a 128-bit key. Of course, any PPTP connection today should use 128-bit key encryption to provide the strongest level of protection possible.
However, even with this encryption, no one would describe PPTP security as good. Many PPT security audits have found a large number of vulnerabilities that severely impact their ability to mask your online activity.
First, there are glaring issues with MS-CHAP, Microsoft’s version of the Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol. Protocols like these are used to authenticate the identity of the calling client.
Two versions of MS-CHAP are available for use – MS-CHAP-v1 and MS-CHAP-v2. The first version is fundamentally insecure, as the NT password hash can be easily extracted from any captured MS-CHAP-v1 data exchange. This reduces the importance of encryption entirely and leaves the door wide open for anyone trying to spy on you.
Unfortunately, MS-CHAP-v2 is no better off either. Captured response packets are vulnerable to dictionary attacks. In addition, it was discovered that the complexity of brute force attacks on MS-CHAP-v2 is equivalent to forcing a 56-bit DES key.
In contrast to 256-bit keys and above, which currently require millions of years to crack, 56-bit encryption can be enforced relatively quickly. Also, basic Microsoft Point-to-Point cipher is based on RC4 stream cipher for encryption. RC4 has also been shown to be weak and vulnerable to bit-flipping attacks.
The final nail in the coffin of PPTP security is the lack of complete forward secrecy. This means that breaking one PPTP session breaks all previous sessions as well.
In short, is PPTP VPN secure? No, not really.
What is PPTP traversal?
PPTP, similar to other legacy protocols like IPSec and L2TP, requires something called a VPN pass to establish a connection. VPN passthrough is a feature found in routers that allows data packets from the VPN client to “pass through” the router and reach the VPN server.
The above protocols require VPN passthrough as they do not natively work with NAT (Network Address Translation). NAT allows all devices on a single network to use the same Internet connection and IP address. Hence, in order to be able to connect to the PPTP VPN server, the router used needs to have the passthrough feature.
Transit settings are enabled or disabled through your router settings. To do this, you will need to type your IP address into the URL bar of your browser, as most routers use 192.168.1.1. Title. There are usually separate toggles for each passthrough feature for each protocol.
If you want to use a VPN client for PPTP connections, click “Enable” to cross over PPTP, and you’re good to go.
PPTP performance
With all its security weaknesses, PPTP has one area in which it really shines – performance. Encryption is usually the main factor that negatively affects the protocol connection speed. The stronger the encryption, the slower the speed.
As we covered earlier, PPTP features very lightweight (basically non-existent) encryption, allowing PPTP users to maintain near-native connection speeds. Of course, you won’t maintain your original speed at 100% – the VPN tunnel can still cause slight drops.
However, the speed of PPTP in general is quite impressive. This is one of the reasons why PPTP is still used today. High speeds are ideal for torrenting, VPN streaming, and other activities where speed is more important than security.
PPTP Setup
Besides its speed, the strength of PPTP also lies in its ease of setup and configuration, as the protocol has native support in multiple operating systems. The installation process is just to download the client and write the credentials given by the VPN provider.
PPTP was initially developed for Windows, but now VPN and iOS PPTP VPN clients are also available. When connecting to PPTP servers, you will only need the server address, username and password, without messing with additional options.
Almost every VPN provider offers a program that supports PPTP, which allows you to simply choose it from a list of available protocols and connect to the available servers. In case you encounter problems, most VPN companies also provide installation guides to help you set up PPTP VPN on their sites.
PPTP platform availability
As we just mentioned, PPTP is available on all major operating systems: Windows, iOS, macOS, Android, Linux, and even FireOS. The latter two do not feature native PPTP support, but this can be easily resolved by using a VPN client from one of the most popular providers.
You shouldn’t have problems finding providers that offer PPTP support. From industry leaders like NordVPN, to smaller companies like IPVanish, they all allow you to use the PPTP protocol to connect to their servers.
PPTP Benefits
While PPTP is an old protocol that failed on many fronts, it has many things in it.
The first is definitely speed. Using a PPTP VPN service allows you to use the full power of your original connection, far superior to other protocols. In cases where security is not a big concern, you can use PPTP and enjoy top-notch performance.
Users looking to stream in HD will likely benefit from PPTP, as there are really no security risks while using Netflix, for example.
Second, PPTP is very easy to set up. There is no complicated configuration process to go through; Simply type the credentials and click Connect.
Finally, PPTP can be used practically on all platforms without a problem. Whatever device or operating system you are using, you can use the PPTP protocol to connect to the VPN server.
Disadvantages of PPTP
One of the main reasons why people use VPNs in the first place is to maintain security and anonymity. Modern VPN protocols are very good at encrypting your connection, preventing anyone from snooping on your online activities or revealing your physical location or IP address.
Unfortunately, the VPN PPTP protocol is a poor choice to achieve this. It features very weak encryption that can be cracked within a day. We have included all…
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