3. Aims of this Document

3.1 Setting up a PPP Client

This document provides guidance to people who wish to use Linux and PPP to dial into a PPP server and set up an IP connection using PPP. It assumes that PPP has been compiled and installed on your Linux machine (but does briefly cover reconfiguring/recompiling your kernel to include PPP support).

Whilst DIP (the standard way of creating a SLIP connection) can be used to set up a PPP connection, DIP scripts are generally quite complex. For this reason, this document does NOT cover using DIP to set up a PPP connection.

Instead, this document describes the standard Linux PPP software (chat/pppd).

3.2 Linking two LANs or a LAN to the Internet using PPP

This document provides (basic) information on linking two LANs or a LAN to the Internet using PPP.

3.3 Setting up a PPP server

This document provides guidance on how to configure your Linux PC as a PPP server (allowing other people to dial into your Linux PC and establish a PPP connection).

You should note that there are a myriad of ways of setting up Linux as a PPP server. This document gives one method - that used by the author to set up several small PPP servers (each of 16 modems).

This method is known to work well. However, it is not necessarily the best method.

3.4 Using PPP over a direct null modem connection

This document provides a brief overview of using PPP to link two Linux PCs via a null modem cable. It is possible to link other OS's to Linux this way as well. To do so, you will need to consult the documentation for the operating system you are interested in.

3.5 This document at present does NOT cover...

• Compiling the PPP daemon software
  See the documentation that comes with the version of pppd you are using.
• Connecting and configuring a modem to Linux (in detail)
  See the Serial-HOWTO and for modem specific initialisation, see Modem Setup Information for information that may help you to configure your modem.
• Using DIP to make PPP connections
  Use chat instead...
• Using socks or IP Masquerade
  There are perfectly good documents already covering these two packages.
• Using diald to set up an automated connection
  See the diald documentation for information on this.
• Using EQL to gang together two modems into a single PPP link.
• Distribution specific PPP connection methods (such as the Red Hat 4.x network configuration tool.
  See the distribution for documentation on the methods used.
• The growing number of tools available to automate PPP set up
  See the appropriate documentation.