HOW TO: Enable PPP Logging in Windows

Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) is the protocol used to establish, authenticate, and assign IP addresses to incoming and outgoing dial-up connections. This article describes how to enable PPP logging, which can be helpful in troubleshooting these processes.

Viewing the PPP log within Windows by Using the Graphical User Interface (GUI)

NOTE: This option is not available in Windows 2000 Professional, see details about command-line below.

1. Start the Routing and Remote Access Services (RRAS) tool in Microsoft Management Console (MMC).
2. In the left pane, right-click the RRAS server for which you want to enable logging, and then click Properties.
3. Click the Event Logging tab.
4. Click to select the Enable Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) logging check box.

Enabling PPP Logging on a Computer Running Windows 2000 Professional Using Netsh.exe

1. Open a command prompt window on the RRAS server for which you want to enable logging.
2. Type the following command, pressing ENTER after each command:
   netsh
   ras
   set tracing PPP enable

NOTE: The Netsh.exe command-line utility is the only option to enable PPP logging in Windows 2000 Professional. After you enable logging, the computer logs all PPP activity to the Ppp.log file in the %SystemRoot%\Tracing folder.

PPP logging uses system resources and hard disk space. Turn off logging when you are finished troubleshooting.

Disabling PPP Logging

1. Open a command prompt window on the RRAS server for which you want to disable logging.
2. Type the following command, pressing ENTER after each command:
   netsh
   ras
   set tracing PPP disabled

The corresponding Registry Key is EnableConsoleTracing and EnableFileTracing (for Windows 2000 Professional) under: There is only one PPP logging level in Windows 2000 and Windows NT 4.0 RRAS, it is verbose. Only Windows NT 4.0 RAS has the normal and verbose mode which can be set by logging in the following registry key: Settings: 0-disabled, 1-normal or standard mode, 2-verbose or detail mode.