On 8 December 2010 18:46, Thomas Bächler <thomas@archlinux.org> wrote:
I want to say this:
1) We do not need wvdial. This works easily with pppd and chat alone - wvdial is just another abstraction layer that doesn't simplify anything (you still have to configure everything that you need to configure in pppd and chat), so I don't see the need for wvdial at all.
2) Implement pppd/chat-based mobile broadband as a netcfg connection.
3) Implement pppoe and pptp as netcfg connections.
4) Implement support for creating netcfg profiles in AIF.
IMO, this is the way to go. It isn't difficult, it just needs some time and someone to do it (it's on my imaginary TODO list which is growing and growing - meaning I won't do it any time soon).
That's fine too, I was just concerned that we need something that actually works in a straightforward manner. This (netcfg method) would be even better, actually. It's just that I've never tried to dial up with anything other than wvdial, and I haven't come across much documentation that uses ppp for gsm. For eg. I have 2 configuration files that I copied off the net; 1 for 3G modems which I didn't have to edit and the other for cellphones, which needed only the APN changed. I just issue a 'wvdial' to get connected with my Huawei E220 or ROKR E8. I wouldn't know how one would do the equivalent with pppd alone. I've tried adapting /etc/ppp/options by looking at each line in /etc/wvdial.conf, to no avail. Thomas, could you provide an example? I'd like to include that in the wiki and improve existing articles like [1], effectively solving this without the need to have any new software/packages introduced. [1] https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Dialup_without_a_dialer_HOWTO