Setting Up the PPPoE Client

To provide PPP to client systems over DSL, you must first configure PPPoE on the interface that is connected to the modem or hub. Then you need to change the PPP configuration files to define the access server on the opposite end of the PPPoE.

Prerequisites for Setting Up the PPPoE Client

Before you set up the PPPoE client, you must have done the following:

• Installed Solaris 8 Update 6 release or subsequent releases on the client machines to use the PPPoE tunnel.

• Contacted the service provider for information about its PPPoE access server.

• Had the telephone company or service provider assemble the devices that are used by the client machines. These devices include, for example, the DSL modem and the splitter, which the telephone company rather than you might assemble.

How to Configure an Interface for a PPPoE Client

Use this procedure to define the Ethernet interface to be used for the PPPoE tunnel.

1. Become superuser on the PPPoE client or assume an equivalent role.

   Roles contain authorizations and privileged commands. For more information about roles, see Configuring RBAC (Task Map) in System Administration Guide: Security Services. To configure a role with the Primary Administrator profile, see Chapter 2, Working With the Solaris Management Console (Tasks), in System Administration Guide: Basic Administration.

2. Add the name of the Ethernet interface with the DSL connection to the /etc/ppp/pppoe.if file.

   For example, you add the following entry to /etc/ppp/pppoe.if for a PPPoE client that uses hme0 as the network interface that is connected to the DSL modem.

   hme0

   For more information about /etc/ppp/pppoe.if, go to /etc/ppp/pppoe.if File.

3. Configure the interface for PPPoE use.

   # /etc/init.d/pppd start

4. (Optional) Verify that the interface is now plumbed for PPPoE.

   # /usr/sbin/sppptun query
   hme0:pppoe
   hme0:pppoed

   You can also use the /usr/sbin/sppptun command to manually plumb interfaces for PPPoE. For instructions, refer to /usr/sbin/sppptun Command.

How to Define a PPPoE Access Server Peer

You define the access server in the /etc/ppp/peers/peer-name file. Many of the options that are used for the access server are also used to define the dial-in server in a dial-up scenario. For a detailed explanation of /etc/ppp/peers.peer-name, refer to /etc/ppp/peers/peer-name File.

1. Become superuser on the PPPoE client or assume an equivalent role.

   Roles contain authorizations and privileged commands. For more information about roles, see Configuring RBAC (Task Map) in System Administration Guide: Security Services. To configure a role with the Primary Administrator profile, see Chapter 2, Working With the Solaris Management Console (Tasks), in System Administration Guide: Basic Administration.

2. Define the service provider's PPPoE access server in the /etc/ppp/peers/peer-name file.

   For example, the following file, /etc/ppp/peers/dslserve, defines the access server dslserve at Far ISP that is introduced in Example of a Configuration for a PPPoE Tunnel.

   # cat /etc/ppp/peers/dslserve
   sppptun
   plugin pppoe.so
   connect "/usr/lib/inet/pppoec hme0"
   noccp
   noauth
   user Red
   password redsecret
   noipdefault
   defaultroute

   For a definition of the options in this file, go to /etc/ppp/peers/peer-name File for Defining an Access Server Peer.

3. Modify the other PPP configuration files on the PPPoE client.
   1. Configure /etc/ppp/options as described in the instructions for configuring a dial-out machine in Configuring the Dial-out Machine.
   2. Create an /etc/ppp/options.sppptun file. /etc/ppp/options.sppptun defines PPP options for the serial port to which the interface that is plumbed for PPPoE is attached.

      You can use any options that are available for the /etc/ppp/options.ttyname file that is described in /etc/ppp/options.ttyname Configuration File. You must name the file /etc/ppp/options.sppptun because sppptun is the specified device name in the pppd configuration.

4. Ensure that all users can start PPP on the client.

   # touch /etc/ppp/options

5. Test if PPP can run over the DSL line.

   % pppd debug updetach call dslserve

   dslserve is the name that is given to the access server at the ISP that is shown in Example of a Configuration for a PPPoE Tunnel. The debug updetach option causes debugging information to be displayed in a terminal window.

   If PPP is running correctly, the terminal output shows the link becoming active. If PPP still does not run, try the following command to see if the servers are running correctly:

   # /usr/lib/inet/pppoec -i hme0

   ---

   Note - Users of configured PPPoE clients can begin running PPP over a DSL line by typing the following:

   % pppd call ISP-server-name

   Then the users can run an application or a service.

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See Also

The following list provides references to related information.

• See Setting Up the PPPoE Client.

• See Creating PPPoE Tunnels for DSL Support.

• See Chapter 21, Fixing Common PPP Problems (Tasks).

• See Setting Up a PPPoE Access Server.