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11. pap: Authenticate properly (especially with PAP)

11.1 pap_optionauth: When dialing out, I get the message "pppd: peer authentication required but no authentication files accessible." What does this mean?

Most likely the option "auth" was set by mistake. Then the other side is required to be authorized.

11.2 pap_requestauth: I cannot establish a connection - it's rejected by the other side. In the log file I find a message that's something like: "sent (0) (LCP ConfReq id=0x1 mru 1500 auth pap magic 0xcd12e9c4"

Like in the last question, an option has been set that requires the other side to be authorized. These options shouldn't be set. Possible candidates are: "+pap" as well as "+chap".

11.3 pap_rejectauth: I cannot establish a connection - it's rejected by the other side. In the log file I find a message that's something like: "sent (0) (LCP ConfRej id=0x1 auth pap"

Your computer is refusing to identify itself with user name (e.g. XXX) and password (e.g. YYY). That only works with the authorization options "user XXX" and "remotename YYY" for ipppd or pppd together with a correct (!) /etc/ppp/pap-secrets. With a password of ZZZ it should ideally look like this:


XXX YYY ZZZ *

If you have special characters in XXX, YYY, or ZZZ, try to use quotes around them. If that doesn't work for getting XXX or YYY correct, you can use wild cards, something like:
* * ZZZ *

Then every partner has the password ZZZ. If chap is required for authorization, then /etc/ppp/chap-secrets must be set up correctly. Important: the format is different from that of pap-secrets! One important point is to use only the tabulator instead of space to separate username, computer, password. Make sure to consult the README's, or check out: http://www.lrz-muenchen.de/~ui161ab/www/isdn/ Also have a look at the next question: pap_passwd.

11.4 pap_checkpwd: How can I check which password is actually sent to the remote side?

Use the options debug and +pwlog for ipppd or pppd. Then you can see your password in the log file.

11.5 pap_passwd: I have problems with PAP or CHAP authentication. It does not work although I'm sure I entered passwords etc. correctly.

Stefan A. Muehlenweg Stefan.A.Muehlenweg@samhh.hanse.de wrote on 4 Oct 1996:

I had exactly the same problem/the same error message. The cause for it was that I had three entries in chap-secrets/pap-secrets (for client, server, secret), but not a fourth one (IP addresses). BUT: after the third entry were some BLANKs. After removing the trailing BLANKs and/or TABs (i)pppd is now very satisfied with my auth-files.
A further source of problems can be the password itself. If it contains the "#" character, then everything after than is understood as a comment. Spaces or tabs can cause similar problems. Solution: put the password in quotes!


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