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Dial-up Networking Configuration Using KDE's Kppp

by Tammy Fox
Last Modified: Wednesday, 19-May-2004 11:54:09 EDT

Introduction
    The KDE network module comes with an internet dial-up tool called Kppp. It provides a graphical interface for configuring your ppp connection as well as the ability to automatically reconnect upon disconnection. It is located at /usr/bin/kppp. Some distributions allow any user to execute this program such as SuSE. However, some distributions such as Red Hat requires the root password to be entered each time kppp is executed for security reasons.

Configuring Kppp
  1. Start kppp by executing kppp. Enter the root password if prompted.
  2. First, make sure Linux can communicate with your modem.
    Click the Setup button and then click the Device Tab as shown in the screenshot below. Under the pull-down menu for Modem Device: choose the COM port for your modem (or /dev/modem if it is symbolically linked to the right COM port already). After choosing the COM port, click on the Modem Tab. Then click Query Modem. If you have chosen the right COM port, you should get output similar to the Modem Query Results screen shown below. If you get an error, keep choosing a different COM port and querying the modem until you find the right one.
  3. After your modem works, you have to setup your ISP account information. Click the Setup button.
  4. Next click the New button and enter the requested information.
    You might need to add the line route add default ppp0 to the field Execute program upon connect: to ensure the default gateway is set to the default gateway from your ISP. If this is not set, you will not be able to connect to anything. Leave Authenication set to PAP.
  5. Click on the DNS Tab and set your DNS numbers and domain name if required by your ISP. When finished, click OK and OK again at the Kppp Configuration screen.
  6. This will take you back to the main Kppp screen. You should now see the account name you setup in the Connect to: field. Enter your username and password for your ISP and click Connect.
  7. If all goes well, you should get a message verifying your connection. All messages including error messages are sent to the syslog which writes them to /var/log/messages. Look in this file to troubleshoot any errors.


Post Configuration
  1. If all goes well, you should get a message verifying your connection. All messages including error messages are sent to the syslog which writes them to /var/log/messages. Look in this file to troubleshoot any errors.
  2. If the following error message appears in the /var/log/messages

    Jun 20 06:23:04 gateway pppd[1437]: The remote system (ppp0) is required to authenticate itself but I
    Jun 20 06:23:04 gateway pppd[1437]: couldn't find any suitable secret (password) for it to use to do so

    you need to configure ppp to use the noauth switch. This can be done by choosing Setup-->Highlight Account Name in Account Setup Box-->Click Edit-->Click Arguments. Type noauth in the Arguments textfield and click Add.
  3. If you are using the KDE desktop, you can also dock Kppp into KPanel by choosing Setup-->PPP and clicking Dock into Panel on Connect.


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Last modified: Wednesday, May 19, 2004