Ha, my first proper handy hint (as opposed to sarcastic arsehole comments usually posted by me!)

If you should find yourself using mandrake 9.0 and an alcaltel speedtouch usb adsl modem, you may find, like I did that your connection gets a bit unstable/or it just won't connect properly.

I was connecting on boot, I could ifconfig as root and the connection would appear to be up and running, but when I tried to access anything I just got the "unable to connect to server" dialogue. Also, when I checked the connection in the "mandrake control centre", the connection was shown as "not connected", when I tried to connect, it would tell me that the connection had failed etc etc.....

The answer seems to be to edit the /etc/ppp/peers/adsl file, the system is probably giving you /usr/bin/pppoa3 -vpi 0 -vci 38 (these are the vpi/vci pair for those using BT lines from the UK) it should read:

/usr/sbin/pppoa3 -vpi 0 -vci 38

and you will need to include your log in details in the user line - leave the " " marks on both the lines mentioned.

I should also admit that I got this from the mandrake user board it's not original thought on my part (I don't do original thought - just plagiarism)

regards

John

I would suggest that anyone who reads this should ignore it, because, when I boot between my mandrake and window$, then back into mandrake, it seems to break the change in the file somehow.

I have tried switching the file again, but it still won't let me connect properly.

I have switched the firewall (mandrakes shorewall thing) off, and trying that, but it still won't let me connect properly either.

If I "su" to root in konsole, then "ifconfig" I can see the connection running, but as per usual, when I check the connection in the "MCC" it says that I am not connected, and when I try to connect it tells me that the connection has failed.

Perhaps I was a little premature being pleased with myself for finding the so-called answer to me problem yesterday, because as per f****** usual, the mandrake has come back to kick me in the bollocks again. Sometimes I really hate linux (well the bloody mandrake anyway!!!)

any ideas much appreciated

regards

John