[GTALUG] Modem/router replacement?

[D. Hugh Redelmeier]

| From: William Witteman <wwitteman at gmail.com>

| 1) How do I run a PPPoE connection from Linux, preferably from the command line?

I imagine that that depends on the distro.  On ancient systems, PPPoE
was handled by Roaring Penguin's PPPoE.  Roaring Penguin is Dianne
Skoll's company in Ottawa.

  $ man -k adsl
  adsl-connect         (8)  - Shell script to manage a PPPoE link
  adsl-setup           (8)  - Shell script to configure Roaring Penguin PPPoE client
  adsl-start           (8)  - Shell script to bring up a PPPoE link
  adsl-status          (8)  - Shell script to report on status of PPPoE link
  adsl-stop            (8)  - Shell script to shut down a PPPoE link
  ifcfg-ppp0 [pppoe]   (5)  - Configuration file used by adsl-start(8), adsl-stop(8), adsl-status(8) and adsl-connect(8)

I don't know what modern systems use.  I've configured PPPoE with Network
Manager on CentOS 6.  I've not yet had to use CLI or learn anything about 
it.

| 2) If I want to buy a new modem as a spare, do people have
| recommendations, and should it include a router?

They all come with routers.  Generally, if you don't provoke the
router, it doesn't interfere.  So a PPPoE stream will just pass through
it.  If you start handing it DHCP queries on its LAN side it will start
doing PPPoE itself.  I don't know all the things that will provoke it.

I have a couple of PPPoE connections with modem/routers where I have my
own thing (a computer) doing the PPPoE.  Not much problem.

I don't trust routers in my house that have been provided by Rogers or
Bell.  My routers are home made out of PCs.  More than a bit quixotic.

My ADSL modem is an old cheap TP-Link TD-8816.  It replaced another modem 
that went south a few years ago.

My VDSL modem has to be provided by Bell since the Stinger box upstream 
doesn't conform to the VDSL2 specs.  They retain too much control over 
it for me to want to give it access to my LAN.

Rogers modems are similar but you don't have to deal with PPPoE.