Re: PPP / ADSL / demand / GUI prompt question

[Stan Hoeppner <stan@hardwarefreak.com>]

stephen2eq@yahoo.com put forth on 10/30/2009 10:15 PM:
> --- On Sat, 10/31/09, Stan Hoeppner <stan@hardwarefreak.com> wrote:
>> Maybe I missed something in a previous post.  If you
>> don't have
>> ethernet, then how are you connecting to the dsl
>> modem?  USB?
> 
> Yes USB to ADSL modem to POTS.  I think your suggestion of buying a router was still valid however, I found several recommendations to do this when I was Googling to find out how to get pon and poff working.  However I was and am determined that I shouldn't need to buy any more hardware than Windows has needed, and I felt vindicated in this when I did get pon and poff working.

Your DSL modem connects to a DSLAM, not POTS.  And regarding your
reference to POTS...

> With that I now have almost everything I want, so the case for buying more hardware is even weaker now than it was when I started out.  I could even put 'pon' in the initrc file (or whatever it's called these days), or perhaps in users' .profiles, so that nobody would need to type it explicitly.  However I would prefer to get the 'demand' feature working - since it is supposed to work, and it is cooler - and I also still like the idea of having a GUI dialog.  Maybe it's because I have used Windows for too long and have developed Stockholm syndrome, but I like the way it lets me see, and approve, connection attempts.

You must have been a long time POTS modem dialup (or worse on top of
that, AOL) user given your goofy preference to see a dial on demand GUI
box.  xDSL is an "always connected" technology.  There is no reason to
ever "hang up".  Thus, just configure the PPPoE client to stay
connected, or re-connect should the PPPoE session be dropped for any
reason.  And have it do it all in the background.  There's no need for
user interaction, none whatsoever.

Regarding a broadband router, it's not about "need", it's about
convenience and ease of use.  It also adds a layer of security
protection due to NAT and SPI, especially if you've not configured
iptables on Linux to provide a packet firewall.  And, configuring the
firewall features of a broadband router is a helluva lot simpler than
iptables.  I don't use desktop Debian, so I don't know if there is a GUI
iptables configurator.  If there is, you lucked out.  If not, you'll be
spending some time on this list or in Google figuring it out.

There is one plus side to avoiding a broadband router.  You'll learn a
bit more of Linux, though you'll burn copious amounts of time doing so. ;)

--
Stan