Re: pppoeconf

[rlharris@broadcaster.org (Russell L. Harris)]

Mark Grieveson <dg135@torfree.net> writes:

> Hello.  When I installed Etch, I had trouble connecting to the
> internet.  I tried to run pppoeconf, but it reported:
>
> debian:/home/mark# pppoeconf
> This option is not available. Please see --help for all possible usages.
>
> So, I uninstalled it, wrote a preferences file locking the program at
> the Sarge version, and then proceeded to install the Sarge version of
> pppoeconf.  This worked perfectly.
>
> However, I'm thinking I really should not have to do this.  I'm not
> sure how to fix it, however.  I also tried to install etherconf
> recently, and this also will not install.

I long ago decided that life was too short to squander time messing
around with PPPoE configuration and control, particularly in view of the
fact that the task can be offloaded to another machine, namely, a
firewall/router running software such as SmoothWall
(www.smoothwall.org).

So, at the expense of a bit of noise (from the power supply fan and the
drive) and a little floor or desk space, an obsolete machine (a
Pentium-I or Pentium-II with 64 Mbyte RAM and a drive in the range of 1
to 10 Gbyte) manages the Internet connection, protects the local network
from attack, and functions as a DHCP server for the network.

SmoothWall takes less than fifteen minutes to install and configure,
even for the novice.  SmoothWall can be configured for PPPoE, for a normal
ADSL or cable account, or for dial-up, and for a static or a dynamic IP
address.  If I switch from one ISP to another, or from DSL to dial-up,
reconfiguration of SmoothWall takes only a few minutes.  SmoothWall is
the gateway for the local network, and the details of the Internet
connection are hidden from the local network.

RLH