discuss: Red Hat Linux + ISP Dial-up + ISDN External Modem HOWTO
Subject:
Re: Red Hat Linux + ISP Dial-up + ISDN External Modem HOWTO
From:
Tor Slettnes ####@####.####
Date:
22 Jul 2004 17:15:57 -0000
Message-Id: <1090516527.3213.80.camel@knausen>
On Thu, 2004-07-22 at 06:39, Bruno Negrão wrote:
> > - I don't think you need to restrict your document to RedHat users.
> > Most of your text (save for the 'ifcfg-ppp0' configuration file)
> > seems pretty generic.
> Really? what type of linux do you have?
I run Debian.
A lot of distributions are based on RedHat/RPM: Fedora, Mandrake, SuSE,
Connectiva, Yellow Dog... - though over time, some of them have diverged
a bit. Another handful of distributions are based on Debian/.deb/APT:
Lindows/Linspire, Knoppix, Xandros, Corel Linux (defunct), Progeny,
Libranet. Finally, there are a few distributions that are written from
"scratch": Slackware (the first distribution that's still "alive"),
Stampede, etc.
Bottom line is that for documentation purposes, you often cover a lot of
bases by targeting the RedHat/Fedora way of doing things and the Debian
way of doing things. My observation/opinion.
> Since i began working with linux i
> was always using redhat OS's so I really don't have idea how the other
> linuxes are. Before linux i worked with SCO Unix, and a lot of things
> differ to redhat linux, so i'm not comfort in guessing what is a standard
> in the linux world and what isn't.
That's probably true for most of us. That's why peer reviews are so
useful.
> > - There does not seem to be anything that is specific to ISDN
> > connections either, aside from the 'cN=X' parameter to the AT string.
> > (And I wonder if that parameter may be vendor-specific as well).
> > I think your document is just as useful in the context of dialups
> > over regular/analog modems.
> Yes, really this configuration fits well for a common external modem. And
> I'm not sure if that string is vendor specific, I've found it in a mailling
> list somewhere... Maybe I can add a note about it.
I have an old internal (ISA) ISDN+Analog modem combo from Zoom
Technologies lying around. I have not used it for many, many years, but
according to its documentation, you would use 'AT%A2=6' for Multi-Link
PPP connections, and 'AT%A2=5' for standard (single channel) PPP
connections. Other settings pertain too, such as '%j0' to first try
ISDN, then analog or '%j2' for ISDN only.
I other words, the 'ATc<n>=<x>' syntax is most definitely vendor
specific.
> > - WVDial is essentially a wrapper around 'pppd', which is covered in
> > the 'ISP-Connectivity' HOWTO by Michael Strates ####@####.####
> > Have you considered working with him to merge these two?
> No i didn't. But that makes sense. Maybe he could add my howto as something
> like "A Step-by-Step Example of making a Dial-Up connection Using an
> External ISDN Modem"
> (wow, too big name...)
> But i will just contact him after include some corrections you proposed.
Great. I just noticed that there is a "Linux ISDN HOWTO" in the works
as well (though currently only in German); see:
http://www.tldp.org/authors/inprogress.html
> > It is not always true that ISPs assign usernames and passwords. If they
> > use the "CHAP" protocol for authentication, then a single "secret" may
> > be used instead.
> Have you ever saw a CHAP ISP before? I didn't. The PPP-HOWTO states in
> http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/PPP-HOWTO/x1005.html that CHAP ISP's are not
> common. do you think its worth mentioning them here? i want to avoid making
> the howto longer. I want it to be a quick reference.
Maybe just a quick mention that this does not pertain to CHAP, people
who use CHAP should read 'man wvdial', or 'man pppd' for more
information.
> > > default route are set up again automatically.
> > ...automatically restored.
> perfect again, thanks (are you american? apart from these errors, how would
> you grade my written english?)
I'm not American, though I have lived here for 13 years now. Your
English is fine - I had no trouble following it.
(There were a couple of minor snafus, but that's why there is a language
review).
-tor
