PPTP VPN and OpenVPN

Within the StudNet VPN connection for Internet dial-in is called Internet Login. There are two possible VPN protocol options.

The PPTP VPN is a standard protocol. It has proven stable over a long period of time. In addition there is OpenVPN.

We will list pros and cons of the two protocols in the following comparision.

PPTP VPN

Pros:

has been stable for a long period of time
extensively tested
supported by every major operating system (including old Windows versions)
based on official standards (developed by Microsoft and others)
IPv6 support

Cons:

poorly encrypted, based on the quality of the used password
issues with third party firewalls and anti virus software, which might result in disconnects (under Windows)
complicated setup under Linux

OpenVPN

Pros:

open source VPN protocol
no problems with firewalls and disconnects (uses connection less protocol)
good integration in Linux
strong encryption

Cons:

non-standard
currently no IPv6 support possible
Windows access only through workaround on server side possible (Windows tun device not available)
Windows version needs administrator rights
suboptimal performance due to strong encryption and userspace implementation