Why does ppp stall for no reason on 2.2.x kernels?

[Brian Servis <servis@purdue.edu>]

Ever since I have upgraded to the 2.2.x kernel on my slink, and bits of
potato, system ppp is very flaky over a dialup 56k line.  Often I am
downloading a package or other large file and the download stalls.  I
can stop and restart the download and it will continue for a bit longer
and the stall again. While the download is stalled if use another net
app it is able to make connections and retrieve data, but it too will
stall during large downloads.  I have upped the debug level on ppp and
nothing shows up to my novice ppp packet eyes.  This stalling is
intermentint as well.  Somedays I can download all I want and have no
problems.  Redialing the connection doesn't seem to help.

Does anybody have any advice?

Here are the options I am passing to pppd.

noauth
connect "/usr/sbin/chat -v -f /etc/chatscripts/me -r /var/log/chat-report.log"  
/dev/ttyS3
115200
defaultroute
noipdefault
user servis
persist
lock
holdoff 1

and to chat

ABORT BUSY
ABORT "NO CARRIER"
ABORT VOICE
ABORT "NO DIALTONE" 
ABORT "NO ANSWER"
REPORT CONNECT
"" ATM0L0S2=255
OK ATDT4968770
CONNECT--CONNECT--CONNECT \d^M
username--username--username servis
password--password--password <password>
anxx--anxx-anxx ppp

Thanks,

-- 
Brian 
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Mechanical Engineering                              servis@purdue.edu
Purdue University                   http://www.ecn.purdue.edu/~servis
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