Several readers have made the Jump to Linux, bur they haven't got their Internet connections runnmg. In our country. broadband is accessed in many different ways ADSL, wired networks, WiMAX, ete. We connect using different diallers and authentication techl1lques, so unfortunately, we can't depend on one sll1gle universal dialler when runllll1g Linux. In this short How To, we'Jl try and explain the most common type of connections.

Connecting using A USB Data Card One of the easiest ways to get online these days is to use a data card. They re not fast but they're flexible and you can connect within minutes by plUggmg in the USB aongle. While on Windows, it's simple. While on Linux. there are formalities. so to speak. that need to be completed before you can start dialling.

First we need to make sure that the USB data card has been detected by your distribution. Connect your USB data card first. Then. we need to first login into root, then type the following.

A list of connected devices will be displayed, and you should find your data card from the list. Look for a line with the vendor mentioned as new connection called
[ lo.ier cdrna]. Enter the necessary information there, and save the file. Finally, type in the command wvdial cdrna to dial the connection. You can also use try using sude WVdliLconf to configure your connection. Once the connection has been setup, you might want to go check whether the newly created connection is being used in Ubuntu under Adrninlst ration> Ne,:work.

Connecting using PPPoE (PPP Over Ethernet)
These days, PPPoE is one of the most popular ways of connecting to the Internet. It's used a lot on ISPs that use wired networks and cable modem connections. On Windows, a PPPoE dialling connection can be setup using a Network connection wizard. but on Linux, we need to use a program called pppoeconf. Run this program as a root from a console. need not enter any name servers either. At the end. you can choose to have the connection dialled. You can also dial the connection using the command por to turn on the connection, and po f f to turn off the connec¬tion.

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Connecting With cURL To A Web-based Login Although PPPoE is the simplest and the most flexible way anyone can connect to an ISP, there are many ISPs that require users to login using their Web interface. For that. there's hardly any automation that can be aone except using a little known program called cURL. cURL is available for Linux, Windows and a whole lot of other OSes. You can download it from. It is used to access sites using username and pass¬wo.rds, so it can be used to enter a user and password on your ISP's login page.

Unzip cURL in a suitable folder, and then open a command prompt window and browse to that location. You can use enter a command in a text file in Notepad and save it as a BAT file. All you need to know is the URL for your ISPs login page and obvi¬ously your username and password.

Create an entry Save the file and exit. The same entry can be entered in the command prompt. The BAT file can be run to login, or a batch file can be scheduled to start on startup. so you can have your connec¬tion turned on when the computer boots.