Ok, I'm very green with everything Linux, and have been a Windows user since the days when Dos stopped doing everything I wanted to do, but, I'm trying to go down the Linux path.

A while ago, a friend of mine set up a Linux firewall for me, and recently I have changed DSL providers, and now I am stuck.....

I have:

Modem: D-Link DSL-300G

Firewall: An old and crusty PC.
Nics: 3x (Int, Ext, and DmZ)

Int and Dmz are working fine, ext is up, but I can't get the PPPoE connection to work on it.

I can, however, get the PPP connection to work fine under windows.

In windows, I am connecting the modem direct to my notebook by Ethernet cable, and have the following modem settings.....

Basic Configuration
Mode: PPP
Type: PPPoE LLC
VPI: 8
VCI: 35
Protocol: CHAP
Username: Well, it's right, anyway.
Password: Well, it's right, anyway.

Lan Configuration
Mode: Bridging
Lan IP: 10.1.1.1
Mask: 255.0.0.0
DHCP Mode: DHCP Server

Wan Configuration
DSL Mode: G.dmt

Bridge Configuration
ZIPB: Enabled
Interfaces: Eth-0
ATM VCs: aal5-0 etc

Now, my vague memory said that I wanted to set up my DSL modem for bridging for my linux machine.....

Basic Configuration
Mode: Bridge
Type: 1483 Bridged IP LLC
VPI: 8
VCI: 35

Lan Configuration
Mode: Bridging
Lan IP: 10.1.1.1
Mask: 255.0.0.0
DHCP Mode: None

Wan Configuration
DSL Mode: G.dmt

Bridge Configuration
ZIPB: Enabled
Interfaces: Eth-0, eoa-0
ATM VCs: aal5-0 etc

In my /etc/network/interfaces file
I have NOTHING for ext. (ie, it was all commented out).

In the /etc/ppp/chap-secrets
my username and password are correct, including case.
It is in the format
username * password

In the /etc/ppp/peers/provider I have the following uncommented lines

pty "/usr/sbin/pppoe -I ext -T 80 -m 1452
noipdefault
defaultroute
hide-password
lcp-echo-interval 20
lcp-echo-failure 3
connect /bin/true
noauth
persist
mtu1492

In the exact configuration above, from a clean boot of both the machine and the modem, I get the following.....

I cannot ping the modem.
My ext interface is there, but it does not have an IP address.

I have tried the following (I think in all possible combinations).....

Setting the DHCP Mode on the modem to DHCP Server.
Setting the modem to PPPoE (although I am near positive it is supposed to be bridging)
Setting the ext Nic to use DHCP.
Giving the ext Nic an IP Address of 10.1.1.2 (the modem is 10.1.1.1)

The Nic shouldn't require an IP address equal to that of my DSL connection, as I will be passing that IP through to use for my web server.

Ok, I figure there are 3 options.

A: I have missed something in updating the Linux machine files.
B: I have got the modem settings wrong
C: Both of the above.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Update.

I have stuffed around some more, and now Ext and PPP0 are there, but neither has an IP address. PPP0 needs to have an IP address for the internet connection to be working.

I am now using the same modem settings as under windoze.