Linux Networking Cookbook

18.1. Configuring a Single Dial-Up Account with WvDial

Problem

You need to set up a dial-up Internet account on your Linux box, but you don't know what dialer or configuration utility to use. Or, you know about KPPP and Gnome-PPP, which are good utilities, but KPPP requires KDE libraries, Gnome-PPP requires Gnome libraries, and both require X Windows. You don't want to down-load all the baggage that comes with them; you just want a simple standalone dialer, or you want a command-line dialer.

Solution

The WvDial dial-up program runs from the command line, and runs on any Linux distribution. These are the steps to configure a single account:

• Make sure you have WvDial and pppd (point-to-point protocol daemon) installed

• Have your Internet account login information handy

Then, make sure that /etc/ppp/options contains a basic set of options. You can copy this exactly:

	asyncmap 0
	crtscts
	lock
	hide-password
	modem
	proxyarp
	lcp-echo-interval 30
	lcp-echo-failure 4
	noipx

As root, start up the WvDial configuration script, giving it the name of the configuration file, exactly as shown here:

	# wvdialconf /etc/wvdial.conf
	Scanning your serial ports for a modem.

	ttyS0<*1>: ATQ0 V1 E1 -- OK
	ttyS0<*1>: ATQ0 V1 E1 Z -- OK
	ttyS0<*1>: ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 -- OK
	[...]
	Found a modem on /dev/ttyS0.
	Modem configuration written to /etc/wvdial.conf.
	ttyS0<Info>: Speed 115200; init "ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0"

This writes the modem defaults to /etc/wvdial.conf. Now, open /etc/wvdial.conf, and add your login information, ...