OK, installed Mandrake 10.1, but cant seem to get the internet working, because I am a noob.

I am using a nForce2 motherboard, and have a DSL internet connection. The external SpeedSteam 5200 DSL modem is connected via ethernet port, onboard the mobo. The connection is straight from the modem to the computer, no router, and it works, because I am using it now with windows.

I entered the internet info during the install, didn't work. Tryed a few times with the mandrake config, but no workie either.

forcedeth is listed under lsmod

"pppoe -I eth0 -A" just resulted in a bunch of gibberish

But I dont know what else to check.

Any suggestions on how to fix this.

Thanks

I know its unsupported, but my connection worked with Mandrake 9.1, just before I upgraded, with a fresh install, to 10.1.

Anyone know how I can get my DSL working?

This is a package of unnecessary paranoia.

-- Phone companies want you to have DSL subscription, they don't care what you connect to it.

-- How would a DSL modem connected by Ethernet know what OS is being used downstream anyway?

-- A fast DSL conection beats slow cable. 1/2 Mb/s cable at a contention ratio of 50:1 is a lot slower than 3/4 Mb/s ADSL. Cable is normally asymmetric like ADSL too.

And to answer the main question in this thread, Mandrake 10.1 works fine with DSL. The problem is not the OS.

Not true!

They are not "opposed" to anything.

Rather you're seeing the Peter Principle at work in all of it's glory.

That is they you are trying to do something outside their range of experience and competence.

Rather than admitting to their lack of knowledge those entrenched in the support arena shift the blame elsewhere, lest they appear to be stupid (which in essense they are.).

These people are not like you with an active interest in computers. For them it's JUST a job.

As such there is no inclinination to explore or learn. They usually only know what their company has taught them through rather insipid training courses.

In turn the company is only (initially) willing to support or train for what they see as a profit generating base... which is why linux is left out of the loop. The companies feel that they cannot make money by supporting linux users, and that doing so will cost them more in training than the money they would make.

FORTUNATELY this perception is changing rather quickly. Cost cutting at major organizations have put Linux knowledge in HIGHER demand than Windows, as Windows so called "experts" are a dime a dozen... but Linux "experts" are relatively scarce.

Since Linux offers a lower total cost of ownership for a large installed base, as companies tighten their belts, Linux is a wonderful alternative to Microshaft's horrific licensing schemes.

BTW: My cable is faster than area DSL's as I'm guaranteed 3mbps down/1.5 up... so there!
Heh, heh, heh....

But to address the issue, you may have set up some things before that are not quite handled the same way.

I don't use PPOE (needless for me...) so I can't address this.

One avenue you can take is to ask the DSL provider how to hook up a firewall/router to their box.

This this is a protective measure they may give you the missing important piece of information you are currently lacking.

e.g. your machine must have a particular name, login, password pair to permit the ppoe connection, etc.

First: Support is offered to Windows users, but not Linux users because Windows occupies 95% market share, and the cost of additional training would be prohibitive. It is all about cost, not being for or against anything. I have worked for a Cable Internet Provider as a telephone support technician so I speak from experience. Providing knowlegable support for all supported versions of Windows as well as Mac OS 8.x and later (including OS X) is no small feat. To add the many variables introduced by Linux can make the task nearly insurmountable. While the main strength of Linux is the choice in what components are installed and how the system is configured, this also produces a support nightmare. Add to that the fact that most hardware is proprietary, and vendors wish to protect their 'intellectual property' so they do not release information to the Open Source Community, and since the Linux market share is still small, they have not developed drivers for Linux yet. This last is a much smaller issue than it was 5 or 6 years ago, but it still does exist to some extent.

Second: If you are unable to set up your DSL Modem connection in Linux, the easy way out is to get a router, and set it up to connect using pppoe. Your computer can then connect to the router using the well supported LAN configuration option (which will work well in both Linux and Windows), and the router will take care of the connection to the DSL Modem. You only have to configure it to use pppoe, and provide the user name and password. Additionally, you may have to set the router up to clone your computer NIC card's MAC ID (hardware address). If you are setting up the router in Windows, you can get the number by opening Control Panel / Network and Internet Connections / Network Connections, then click the More Info button. The MAC ID is called the hardware address. By adding a route, you get better security, and simplify Internet connection.

HTH,

I have had little trouble with using Mandrake with DSL in releases 8.0, 8.2, 9.0, 9.1, 9.2, and now 10.1. The most annoying problem I've encountered is that the Mandrake Control Panel functions often don't work right. The settings chosen don't "take" every time. Sometimes just doggedly persisting will get them to finalize the way you want.

But if network services are chosen for a startup function, the DSL should work without even having to go into the Control Panel or do anything else.

My guess is that the installation went wrong in some way. I've had to reinstall Mandrake three or four times before it worked right, in the past. I was lucky that the first CLEAN installation of Mdk 10.1 worked for me without much hassle. Others have pointed out here that clean installations are more reliable than "upgrades." Especially, presumably, between edition whole-numbers, such as when I moved from 9.2 to 10.1.

If it was me, I'd grit my teeth and reinstall. Then if it didn't work I'd suspect a hardware problem, not Mandrake.

On the phone-company issue, I think it's mostly a lack of knowledge and support staff re: Linux that comes into play. The phone company wants its connection money, not support for one OS or another--I imagine they couldn't care less what's on the other end of the line. That's part of the problem!

Granted their "software" that they try to push on customers is tailored to Windows users (and if they're lucky, Mac owners). But that's a baby-sitting interface completely unnecessary to the connection, on a par with AOL as a horrific gateway to the Internet.

opjose, first let me say, "Thank you" for teaching me the meaning of the Peter Principle. I have heard it used but didn't have any idea of what it meant. But I have to disagree with your statement that they are not opposed. While that may be true for the most part, there are always exceptions to the rule. While it may not make any sense to us for anyone to oppose Linux, I can tell you that there are some that truely are. No matter what you do or say, even show them all the advantages of Linux, they will still reject it and stand against it. You would think that they were hard wired to stick with Windows. I know, for some of them are my in-laws. *shaking head*

As for your speed on your connection, you have me beat, as I am on a VA pension, have opted for one of the lower tiers which is still much faster than the old dial-up. When I get my first game done and profit from it, then I will go for the faster option. LOL Merry Christmas.


ernie,I had a feeling that is what the issue was. Market share dominating with high expectations and little pay with just too much to cover for the manpower there is. But even in this group there are a few Windows fanatics, even against all logic. Which I am beginning to think is not so much a Linux/Windows thing, but maybe more of something along the lines of being a possible genetic mental thing, as there are people like this in all walks of life. Earlier in my day, it was muscle cars, Ford vs. Chevy. We seem to make more note of it as Linux vs. Windows, sometimes making more of it than there is.

As for the Linux tech issues,we do have sites like this one to answer questions. But we could use a site that would list all known fixes that are standard, so we can just add a link to a reply for the newbies so they can read the solution for their fix. Well, that is just an idea. Merry Christmas to you as well.

Heh...

Actually the Peter Principle states that people rise to a point in an organization where-in they are at or beyond their abilities. As a result they rise no higher.

The side effect is that once someone hits their limit, they tend to be ineffectivet.

Hi

I am using Mandrake Linux 10.0 Official. I am having the same problems in connecting to the internet with my ADSL connection.

I configured the LAN through eth0 on my realtek ethernet card.. and i get messages during booting saying network is up etc...but my problem is that the ADSL does not start at all.

I tried my Mandrake linux 8.2 and in that one, the same hardware connects to the internet without any complications.

I am sure I am making a mistake in the second step which is , adding the ADSL connection and specifying the username password, and choosing PPOE. I wonder if the values i specify through the control panel get stored or not.

Is there a manual way (without control panel) to set the ADSL connection?

Please help me to get this ADSL connection set up.

If it works in 8.2, it should as well work in 10.0, right?

Thanks for your help, in advance.

-Romeonation
India

I hope this isn't off-topic, but an old pc running Smoothwall or IPCOP or similar lets you abstract the modem from your current distro, and gives you a good firewall as well. Not the solution for everyone, but it may be useful, and both of these distros seem very good at dealing with hardaware & ADSL.

Jim

Configure your internet connection as a Cable Connection - not as ADSL/DSL or LAN. It was the only way I got my ZyXEL Modem/Router to connect with Mandrake 10.1.

Cheers Alastair

doesn't DSL usually require you to login to the network? I know some DSL providers automatically connect, but that's because of a registry entry. I think cable does it the same way, because i have found my master email address entered in my registry.