Topic: ADSL connection

[Xander]

I'm having problems setting up an ADSL modem (3COM HomeConnect DualLink) with E-Smith using the PPPoE option. This is in Auckland, NZ on a residential Telecom JetStream connection with a dynamic IP address where the PPPoE times out during the E-Smith startup. I've confgured the modem on a Win98 machine trying Bridge, PPPoE and PPP over ATM - all to no avail.

I could only get it working using the more expensive 3COM OfficeConnect modem+router where I selected my eE-Smith connection to be a static one where I specify the IP address of the outside ethernet card, submask and IP address of the modem/router.

I want to run a small webserver using something like dyndns.org which works with the second scenario above. I am convinced that I should be able to get it to work with the first option and the HomeConnect modem above (which is a significantly cheaper option). If I must go with the second option, I need to figure out how to enable the e-smith dyndns support which is not offered as an option with the static connection.

ps. this is on e-smith 4.1 beta 4.

I realize that this might be a modem setup question rather than an e-smith question, but if anyone has done this, I'd really appreciate a pointer or two.

TIA

[David]

Hi

I have never done this using e-smith.  But I can tell you that 3Com use a non RFC standard of PPPoE on the Ethernet side of the Dual Link.

The 3COM Dual Link uses a PROPRIETARY, NON-COMPLIANT version of PPPoE. The PPPoE protocol specifies 2 new values for the EtherType field in a MAC frame. RFC 2516 specifies that the EtherType for "PPPoE discovery" is 0x8863, and "PPPoE session" is 0x8864. (I would gather this is how the e-smith server is trying to 'talk' to the 3com) BUT... 3COM changed these values to 0x3c12 and 0x3c13 (it order to make people buy there more expensive ROUTER.  3COM bundles EnterNet300 to be used as your connection client on the PC (but private labels it as 3COM software). In the ini file for the software you can see these NON-COMPLIANT values being set.

It is possible to get it working on Linux using the Roaring Penguin PPPoE Dialer Software, with changes to the PPPoE settings.  I also believe that it is possible to make changes to the unix Kernal to correct this problem.

Hope that helps ya some!

David

[David]

Hi

I have never done this using e-smith.  But I can tell you that 3Com use a non RFC standard of PPPoE on the Ethernet side of the Dual Link.

The 3COM Dual Link uses a PROPRIETARY, NON-COMPLIANT version of PPPoE. The PPPoE protocol specifies 2 new values for the EtherType field in a MAC frame. RFC 2516 specifies that the EtherType for "PPPoE discovery" is 0x8863, and "PPPoE session" is 0x8864. (I would gather this is how the e-smith server is trying to 'talk' to the 3com) BUT... 3COM changed these values to 0x3c12 and 0x3c13 (it order to make people buy there more expensive ROUTER.  3COM bundles EnterNet300 to be used as your connection client on the PC (but private labels it as 3COM software). In the ini file for the software you can see these NON-COMPLIANT values being set.

It is possible to get it working on Linux using the Roaring Penguin PPPoE Dialer Software, with changes to the PPPoE settings.  I also believe that it is possible to make changes to the unix Kernal to correct this problem.

Hope that helps ya some!

David

[Peter Wells]

All of what David said about using the 3com dual link adsl modem with Linux has been discussed & used sucessfully by people in the local NZ linux mailing lists, so it probably works.

I have used the 3com dual link modem with Win 98 sucessfully but put it in the 'too hard' basket for Linux. I get the impression you were unable to get it working with Win 98 either?

You need to use PPP over ATM and change the default VPI & VCI settings (0,35) to 0 & 100 respectively. This should make it work with Windows (& needs to be done before attempting any Linux setup).

I also found the modem fairly unreliable until the local Wellington Central exchange was upgraded to the new gear for the Alcatel chipset, then things became fast and stable.

In the end I switched to a Nokia Mi500 ADSL router/modem which is also quite cheap, but needs setup via a serial connection & terminal emulator.

Out of curiosity, what settings were you using with the router/modem for static IP? The e-smith setup only asks for Static IP, Subnet mask & gateway IP. I could not find out the subnet mask for the static IP (Actrix) so tried various without success...