DSL connection using Knoppix 6

[cabaloo]

Hi,

I understand it would be better to use a router instead of a DSL modem with no built-in router.
But until then, can anyone pls give some support for setting up a working DSL connection (PPPoE) to the Internet using Knoppix 6.0.1 (based on Microknoppix, on CD) and a cable DSL modem?!
I just don't get to manage it successfully, because I am not quite sure whether to do some extra configuring (e.g., adding username and password in files such as /etc/ppp/peers/dsl-provider, /etc/ppp/options, /etc/ppp/peers/pap-secrets and so on), or to set up the connection exclusively via GUI/menu structure.
Knoppix has detected my netcard device (SiS 900) as eth0. Problem is, under "network connections" there is a default connection for eth0 called lfupdown (or ifupdown) ("never", under "wired/cable-bound"), which cannot be removed (an error message appears). I suppose I'd rather have to go to "DSL" and enter my username and password for my ISP there. Entering "netcardconfig" and then choosing "manually configuring an IP address" works fine, a connection is established soon afterwards but no remote host can be reached/no website can be accessed then, because only the lfupdown (or ifupdown) connection for eth0 has been established, but not the DSL connection.
Adding to my confusion is what role the ISDN tool, imon, isdnutils etc. play in all this, or can I just ignore them?
Entering "pppoe conf" brings about either unidentifiable character strings, or something like "Timeout: waiting for PADS packets".

Can anyone give some advice?
Thanks.

[cabaloo]

I cannot believe I haven't got one reply yet.
I had gotten the impression that this is a very good forum for posting issues like mine.

I haven't got any idea why there hasn't been an answer yet.

[iki]

You don't have to fiddle with anything.
At boot if you want to run Knoppix with A.D.R.I.A.N.E. disabled, choose 9.shell and then type 'startx'.
After boot, right-click the Network Manager icon, choose 'edit connections', tab 'DSL', type your login & password, 'ok'. Then click again the Network Manager icon and choose 'ppp0'. You're connected!

[cabaloo]

Thanks.
I'm gonna try this evening.

[aeroa]

Unfortunately,
it seems
both knoppix_v6.0.1-ADRIANE and knoppix_v6.0.1CD
lack pppoe functionality.

Have you tried knoppix_v5.1.1CD ?

[Harry Kuhman]

...I understand it would be better to use a router instead of a DSL modem with no built-in router....

Can anyone give some advice?.
Maybe you are ready to accept the truth that you indicated you were aware of all along.

Of course, you don't need a built-in router, you can add an external one . My first cost $100 US for a wired-only router and was still a good deal. Since then prices have dropped greatly. I've seen wired and wireless routers for under $10 US and can always find them around $20. I've even given away a few and know of others with ones they could part with. If your still unwilling to make a purchase, ask around among your friends and see if any have a spare router gathering dust.

Routers don't just make connecting via Linux completely automatic, they also provide an important lever of firewall security and virus protection. If you ever run Windows this is extremely important. I would not consider running without one.

[cabaloo]

The DSL connection is working now.
It isn't all too complicated after all, but I should have known better.

Thanks for the replies.

[aeroa]

Would you share
the particular steps needed ?
thanks

[iki]

@ aeroa:
the steps to connect through pppoe are the ones I posted in the third post. I don't know where you're from but here where I live the dsl service is provided by Telefonica. The service is quite good as long as it's functioning, but if not...that company is BY FAR the one with most founded complaints in the customer protection organization. They managed to oblige people to subscribe to a 'content provider' to get their passwords but that is just bloatware for the poor Microsoft's users. So they say they 'don't support' Linux, but actually only their ads and tracking software are not supported 'cos one has to use a generic login and password when using linux (much simpler isn't it?).

@ Harry:
hi, there's something I should point out. First, as posted above, Knoppix6's network-manager works really well with the pppoe connection and is very simple to use (I really like the LXDE desktop). The other thing is that I routed my 'speedtouch' modem recently (only possible, I think, in MS Windows, so I made a small Win2K install to accomplish it - also it's something criminally hidden by Telefonica, the ISP), and it's so effective that if I knew earlier maybe I wouldn't have even discovered Linux :-P but now eth0 auto-dhcp mode isn't working for me in Knoppix (the only distro in which I can't connect). So I'll try to fiddle something more and if not resolved I'll open another thread for it.

Regards.

[aeroa]

hello iki,
thanks a lot for your response
not an expert here,
but having a knoppix prior to 6.0 succesfully connected to the DSL provider via pppoe
and since 6.1 certainly lacks pppoeconf, though modules appear to be there
I tried to force it by manually editing
/etc/ppp/peers/dsl-provider
/etv/ppp/pap - chap - secrets
(as they would work for knoppix_5.x)
then
pon dsl-provider
reported:

Plugin rp-pppoe.so loaded.
Linux kernel does not support PPPoE -- are you running 2.4x?

I must have missed something...

your method works fine
it doesn't even require you boot to console first by knoppix 2

thanks a lot for your time!

[Harry Kuhman]

@ Harry:
..... but now eth0 auto-dhcp mode isn't working for me in Knoppix (the only distro in which I can't connect). So I'll try to fiddle something more and if not resolved I'll open another thread for it.
I saw you mention this in the news thread also, would very much like more information.

A number of years ago I did find one router that Knoppix would not DHCP handshake with properly, even though Windows would. ( A Belkin 802.11b router that Belkin never supported properly and never released firmware upgrades for, they phased it out for a different hardware platform that they did support). But the problem seemed to be the way the router did the dhcp handshake and that once they got it working with Windows they decided it was good to go and that it didn't really follow the DHCP protocol. All other routers that I have tried (including a newer Belkin) have worked fine.

I'm very disappointed with Knoppix 6.x so far, and have not run it much. (Quite honestly I see all 5.x versions as a step backwards from 4.02). But the little I have tried 6.x I have had no problem with Internet connections, and I always use a router.

[iki]

Hi, I'm posting from Knoppix right now. As I had imagined, it was a matter of restarting the connection (only that wouldn't work through network-manager, so I found 'networking' service in /etc/init.d). In Root Terminal:

# /etc/init.d/networking restart

(ubuntu connects ok and Antix-8, although connecting at boot, needs to have the connection restarted after login screen or has the connection triggered if a super-user operation is performed - to mention Debian based distros).

[cabaloo]

Basically the steps as described by iki.
What had confused me before was that after entering my login and password under "DSL" a dialog window appeared asking me to define a password for what Knoppix' called (and what roughly translates from German into) the "default bunch of keys". At the beginning I didn't know what was meant by that. Every time I start the DSL connection another dialog window opens asking whether to allow access to the default bunch of keys (once/always) or not. Also, I wasn't aware that you can choose between the various connections (and connection types) established when clicking the Network Manager icon. To me, that was the most useful hint given by iki.
So once you know how it all works it is really easy.
All this works regardless of ADRIANE being enabled or disabled, at least in my case.

@Harry Kuhman:
It should be mentioned that of course routers can become the target of online attacks and manipulations with a serious impact as well.

[Harry Kuhman]

@Harry Kuhman:
It should be mentioned that of course routers can become the target of online attacks and manipulations with a serious impact as well.
Sure, anything can if you don't take care and stay aware of what is going on. None the less, there are vastly more infested PCs out on the Internet than infested routers. You statement should certainly not be used as an excuse to not protect a PC with a router.

[cabaloo]

Yeah right, of course not.
I just finished reading an article which describes, among other things, that a router's firewall might be manipulated (reprogrammed) and deactivated by means of CrossSiteRequestForgery.