Using Dial-Up Connections to the Internet
Many individuals and even some small businesses that need to connect to the Internet still do so
using modems and telephone lines. The modem connects to a serial port (COM1, COM2, and so
on) on your computer and then into a telephone jack. Your computer dials a modem at your
Internet service provider or business that has a connection to the Internet.
The most common protocol for making dial-up connections to the Internet (or other TCP/IP network)
is Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP). Let??™s look at how to use PPP to connect to the Internet.
See Chapter 9 for information on configuring a dial-up connection that is specific to
Debian.
Getting Information
To establish a PPP connection, you need to get some information from the administrator of the
network to which you are connecting. This is either your Internet service provider (ISP) when you
sign up for Internet service, or the person in your workplace who walks around carrying cables,
two or more cellular phones, and a couple of beepers (when a network goes down, these people
are in demand!). Here is the kind of information you need to set up your PPP connection:
Telephone number??”Gives you access to the modem (or pool of modems) at the ISP. If
it is a national ISP, make sure that you get a local or toll-free telephone number (otherwise,
you??™ll rack up long-distance fees on top of your ISP fees).
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