internet connection

[Robert Storey]

On Wed, 21 May 2003 13:11:20 +0100
"Simon Sharratt" <simon.sdaej at virgin.net> wrote:

> hi I know i shouldn't ask here but is there an idiots guide to
> connecting to the internet over a modem?Or should I just go and spend
> hours more reading the manual? Simon

I was in the same boat about a week ago. After much frustration and
getting close to uninstalling FBSD, I finally it figured out. FBSD really
could use some sort of PPP config utility. Anyway, to answer your
question, it's actually not that hard. I suggest you don't even bother
reading the stuff about Kernel PPP, just go for User PPP which is less
trouble to configure.

At the minimum, you've got to configure file, /etc/ppp.conf. Below is my
ppp.conf file, appropriately modified on the assumption that you log onto
FreeBSD as user "simon" and that you also log into your ISP "virgin.net"
as user "simon", and that your modem is attached to the first serial port,
and of course you'll have to fill in the correct phone number and
password:

#################################################################
# PPP  Sample Configuration File
# Originally written by Toshiharu OHNO
# Simplified 5/14/1999 by wself at cdrom.com
#
# See /usr/share/examples/ppp/ for some examples
#
# $FreeBSD: src/etc/ppp/ppp.conf,v 1.8 2001/06/21 15:42:26 brian Exp $
#################################################################

default:
 set log Phase Chat LCP IPCP CCP tun command
 ident user-ppp VERSION (built COMPILATIONDATE)

 # Ensure that "device" references the correct serial port
 # for your modem. (cuaa0 = COM1, cuaa1 = COM2)
 #
 set device /dev/cuaa0

 set speed 115200
 set dial "ABORT BUSY ABORT NO\\sCARRIER TIMEOUT 5 \
           \"\" AT OK-AT-OK ATE1Q0 OK \\dATDT\\T TIMEOUT 40 CONNECT"
 set timeout 600			# 3 minute idle timer (the default)
 enable dns				# request DNS info (for resolv.conf)

papchap:
 #
 # edit the next three lines and replace the items in caps with
 # the values which have been assigned by your ISP.
 #

virgin:
 set phone PHONE-NUMBER
 set authname simon
 set authkey PASSWORD

 set ifaddr 10.0.0.1/0 10.0.0.2/0 255.255.255.0 0.0.0.0
 add default HISADDR			# Add a (sticky) default route

 allow users simon


#  ====================================================================

The above file may be all you need. You would dial up by typing in an
Xterm:

   ppp -background virgin

and hang up by typing:

   killall ppp

Possibly, what might happen is that your modem will dial and connect, but
you still won't be able to surf the Internet or collect your Email. In
that case, you probably need to fill in primary and secondary DNS in the
file /etc/resolv.conf. I had to do that, and mine looks like this:

  domain hinet.net
  nameserver 168.95.192.1
  nameserver 168.95.1.1

Of course, your domain is (I guess) virgin.net, and the two nameservers
(primary & secondary DNS) is something your ISP needs to tell you.

That should be all you need to do. Hope it works.

regards,
Robert