* Larry <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> [080117 21:28]: > I've been using Debian with dial-up for about 8 years and it's getting > pretty slow, so I thought I would try DSL. The problem is I have > absolutely no understanding of how DSL works. If I could get a > connection I don't even understand how the browsers, etc. know how to > use it. And this is after reading the docs, searching Google and the > Debian list, etc. Is there a good step by step guide somewhere? > > When I run pppoeconf I get: "the Access Concentrator of your provider > did not respond." I have also tried pppoe-setup. At this point, I > really wonder if the modem is even connected to the computer. Is > there a way to check it? ...
I think that the easiest possible way to handle PPPoE is with SmoothWall Express 2.0 (www.smoothwall.org). SmoothWall is a GPL firewall/router package which pre-configured, is administered through a web interface, and is extremely well documented with internal, on-line help files. SmoothWall requires only an old PC of the Pentium variety (200 MHz Pentium processor, 64 Mbyte RAM, 1 Gbyte drive, CD ROM for installation, 2 ethernet ports). After you download a small ISO image and burn a CD, you can install SmoothWall in about 15 minutes. Once SmoothWall has been installed, go to any machine in the LAN, open a browser, and view the SmoothWall administration web page at http://192.168.1.1:81 . You can set up SmoothWall to act as a DHCP server for the LAN, and you can set it up to handle PPPoE. If you need help, every web page has a HELP button which brings up a comprehensive explanation of the parameters and options. Should you need to return to dial-up, it takes only a few minutes to switch SmoothWall from DSL to dial-up or from dial-up to DSL. I have been running SmoothWall Express 2.0 for several years, and it has been trouble-free. RLH -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
