Mergic Creates PPTP Compliant VPN

Posted By: Ed Monday, April 22, 2002 9:19:16 AM

Mergic is in the process of developing the Mergic VPN for Palm OS, a VPN client which allows users to securely access a private network, such as a corporate LAN, from their handhelds. This will allow other apps which require network access, like PC remote control apps and network HotSyncing, to connect to the servers they need to. It supports the Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP), the method supported by the widest number of VPNs. A public beta is available now for download.

Mergic VPN allows user-selected applications to automatically connect and disconnect from the VPN server as needed without requiring the user to launch the VPN client.

PPTP server support is available as part of many platforms including most Cisco platforms several of the Microsoft Windows operating systems (Windows XP Professional , Windows 2000 Professional , Windows 2000 Server , Windows NT Workstation and Server ), Linux and other operating system and firewall/VPN servers.

It has support for 40, 56, and 128-bit Microsoft Point-to-Point Encryption (MPPE). It also supports the PAP, CHAP, MS-CHAPv1, and MS-CHAPv2 authentication protocols.

Mergic VPN runs on any handheld running Palm OS 3.1 or later. It uses about 180 KB. Naturally, some way to make a TCP/IP connection is required.

Related Information:

PIC: Palm OS 5 to Have Full Browser and VPN
PIC: Software Forum

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Other VPN Clients?

I.M. Anonymous @ 4/22/2002 11:25:48 AM #

Is this the first VPN client for PalmOS? Certainly someone else has a VPN client.

RE: Other VPN Clients?

I.M. Anonymous @ 4/22/2002 12:27:52 PM #

Certicom has had it's MovianVPN client for PalmOS (and other handhelds) available for a while now.

http://www.certicom.com/products/movian/movianvpn.html

Dave R.

RE: Other VPN Clients?

I.M. Anonymous @ 4/22/2002 2:10:38 PM #

Palm VNC has been around for a while as well. It's just a modified version of Win VNC, but includes the palm app for using your Palm as a client

RE: Other VPN Clients?

I.M. Anonymous @ 4/22/2002 4:30:39 PM #

No it's not the first, but Certicom's VPN doesn't do PPTP.

And PalmVNC is not a VPN product (comparing apples and elephants).

RSA SecurID support?

I.M. Anonymous @ 4/22/2002 2:48:13 PM #

Anyone know if either this, or the MovianVPN client works with RSA SecurID authentication?

pptp?

I.M. Anonymous @ 4/22/2002 3:24:49 PM #

Nice thing but imho hardly worth the effort.
PPTP is surely widespread (even w95 supports it), but it's not that secure. Well, I guess a full-fledged ipsec with strong encryption is not feasible for the dragonball (alas, here we struck our favorite processor's weakness).

Anyway, there's an implementation of ssh, maybe it's possible to get a tunnel working with some coding effort (also a better solution for just one client, vlans are more appropriate for lan to lan stable communications).

(just my 2 cents, do not flame me too much vlan supporters :)

I agree, pptp is the ONLY unsecure VPN

I.M. Anonymous @ 4/22/2002 6:18:23 PM #

there are numerous weaknesses in Microsoft's implementation of PPTP.
Just read these pages,

www.networkice.com/Advice/Countermeasures/VPN/PPTP/Vulnerabilities/default.htm

www.ciac.org/ciac/bulletins/i-087.shtml

Those problems are with ''Microsoft's Old'' implementation

I.M. Anonymous @ 4/22/2002 10:51:09 PM #

The 1st article indicates/says that the problems existed with Microsoft's early pptp implementations and that they have been fixed. I don't know anything about running ssh as a secure tunnel but I thought pptp's main use is as a remote access vpn? But whatever, the main point seems pretty simple to me, if your company supports pptp for remote access then this client (or some other palm pptp client) is needed. At the least it's another answer to one of the very few advantages that the ce has over the palm.

RE: pptp?

TDS @ 4/22/2002 11:50:09 PM #

PPTP can use 128 bit encryption. I thought that was considered fairly strong...

RE: pptp?

I.M. Anonymous @ 4/24/2002 5:55:46 AM #

PPTP has design problems, basically that the
control tunnel is unnencrypted, so a third party
can disrupt the connection or make a DoS

The 128 bit encryption is using RC4, the same used
in Wireless lan, and it is "comparable" in security
as a 56 DES (this is a biiiig generalization). The length of the key does not means that it is stronger
algorithm

The authentication is using LM easily breakable (now supports NTLMV2

So, if possible, don´t use PPTP....

Javier.
which is better)

My life is now complete!

TDS @ 4/22/2002 11:50:55 PM #

I have been waiting for a PPTP client for over a year now! Movian makes great software, but most small-to-mid sized business's use PPTP for VPN connections. It is simply a matter of cost. If this works as advertised, I can sell a lot of these programs! Many of my clients use a VPN/Exchange server combo for work on the road, and this will make everything much easier with their PalmOS devices! oh happy day!
TDS