On 24-Aug-2000 David Bellows wrote: > Hello all, > > I'm contemplating getting DSL service through my local phone co. > Bellsouth (anyone have specific dealings with them re: DSL) and find > myself in total ignorance of what's involved, so please bear with me as > I ask these questions. > > 1. The service comes with an external DSL modem. I was under the > impression that DSL hooked up through one's ethernet card. Since I > appear to be wrong, what does the DSL modem do and is it likely to be > GNU/Linux compatible?
The DSL modem has a connector for cable. You use cable (10BaseT in my case) to connect the DSL modem to a network card in your computer. My Network card is PCI, since I was not brave enough to try the type with a USB connector. > > 2. I installed the default kernel in my system and didn't set up any > networking stuff (currently using a dial up connection -- I'm presuming > that DSL is a kind of networking thing). Where do I find the > information about these things and is there a Debian tool that will help > me configure whatever needs configuring? > I downloaded Roaring Penguin from www.roaringpenguin.com and then used Alien to make a Debian package from the rpm I downloaded. I have PPP and SLIP (I don't believe SLIP is actually required) compiled in my kernel, along with the tulip driver for the network card being installed as a module. Of course, you need to have the PPP package installed too, which you probably already have since you are using a dialup. I had to empty my /etc/ppp/options since pppoe has its own options file. > 3. The webpage for Bellsouth DSL mentions three requirements (in > addition to MS or Mac) a) USB (probably not currently supported in > Debian, eh?) OR b) ethernet card OR c) NIC. My question: what is the > difference between ethernet and NIC? Which should I get? NIC and ethernet refer to the same thing. NIC= Network Interface Card. > > 4. Another requirement was that I needed a dial up modem installed, > which I do have, but why would I need that? I have no idea why you would need that. I didn't need one. I am using Pacific Bell, btw. -- Andrew
