Connecting to iDRAC VPN by using L2TP over IPsec on Fedora Linux 30

The integrated out-of-band management platform on Dell servers is called iDRAC. By default, access to the iDRAC interface of your servers is provided via a VPN. This guide explains how to access iDRAC using a VPN.

Alternatively, if necessary, you can enable temporary public access to the iDRAC interface, allowing access without a VPN. This can be activated in the Customer Portal through the server details page under the OOB section by selecting Enable public access for 24 hours. Once activated, public access remains enabled for the next 24 hours, but can be manually disabled at any time.

For security reasons, VPN access remains the preferred method and should be used whenever possible.

Finding VPN credentials

Credentials for setting up a VPN connection to the OOB network and instructions are available in the Customer Portal. To access them:

1. Navigate to Networks → VPN access → VPN to DRAC section
2. Select the location and click Credentials
3. In the opened window, you will find the credentials

Installing required packages

1. Update the package information to retrieve the latest versions and dependencies:

   sudo dnf update

2. Install the L2TP plugin for NetworkManager:

   sudo dnf install NetworkManager-l2tp NetworkManager-l2tp-gnome -y

3. Restart your system:

   sudo reboot

Setting up a new VPN connection

1. Click the Settings button in the shortcuts menu
2. In the Settings window, navigate to the Network tab and click the + button next to the VPN label to add a new VPN connection
3. Choose Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP)
4. In the VPN connection settings, go to the Identity tab and enter:
   • Name (e.g. VPN1)
   • Login credentials obtained from the Customer Portal:
     • Gateway: VPN server
     • Username: login
     • Password: password
   • Click the user symbol in the password input field and select Store the password only for this user
5. In the same tab, click IPsec Settings:
   • Tick Enable IPsec tunnel to L2TP host
   • Enter the shared secret obtained from the Customer Portal in the Pre-shared key input field
   • Optionally click Legacy Proposals to auto-fill fields or manually specify encryption methods. Example configuration:
     • Set Phase1 Algorithms to aes128-sha1-modp2048
     • Set Phase2 Algorithms to aes128-sha1
   • Tick Disable PFS, then click OK
6. Navigate to the IPv4 tab and scroll down to Routes:
   • Add the following routes:
     • 198.18.0.0
     • 100.64.0.0
   • Click Apply to save the settings
7. Ensure your newly created VPN connection is turned on

Finding iDRAC credentials

The IP address and credentials for an individual server's iDRAC interface can be found in the Customer Portal:

1. Navigate to Dedicated Servers → Manage → Your server → Details
2. Scroll to the OOB section and click Credentials