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Newsgroups: comp.os.386bsd.questions Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!bunyip.cc.uq.oz.au!munnari.oz.au!sgiblab!nbn!well!pacbell.com!ames!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!math.ohio-state.edu!jussieu.fr!univ-lyon1.fr!swidir.switch.ch!newsfeed.ACO.net!Austria.EU.net!EU.net!uunet!seas.smu.edu!rwsys!hammy!gordon From: gordon@sneaky.lonestar.org (Gordon Burditt) Subject: Re: PPP References: <30n5qj$3s1@portal.gmu.edu> <michaelv.774892571@ponderous.cc.iastate.edu> Organization: "Gordon Burditt" Date: Fri, 5 Aug 1994 18:56:59 GMT Message-ID: <Cu2sMz.12M@sneaky.lonestar.org> Lines: 72 Is there a way to get fully automatic PPP? I may be asking for the moon here, but I'd like to be able to set up PPP so that the connection is established and disconnected as needed. - Routing is set up when the system is booted without necessarily needing to set the link up at this point. Daemons get started as needed. - The PPP connection is established when needed for useful traffic by dialing an internet services provider and logging in. Provision is made to try alternate numbers, alternate modems, and alternate internet services providers. - PPP can be connected over any dialout line allowed and not in use. (You probably don't want it running over a 1200 modem). Potentially these are different modem types (different dialing methods) at different speeds. It uses locks so it can co-exist with UUCP outdial and logins. - If the connection drops and there is traffic, it will redial on the same or a different line. - Since a lot of the modem dialing and line info is also used by UUCP, it would be nice if they could share some of the control files. - The PPP connection is disconnected after a user-configurable period of time (e.g. a few minutes) with no useful traffic. - Traffic can be classified by user configuration into three types, "useful", which calls for establishing or keeping established a PPP link, "non-useful", which is allowed when the link is up already but is not cause for establishing the link and gets dropped if the link is down, and "forbidden", which is not allowed on the PPP link at all. - Examples of "non-useful" traffic include broadcast messages, NTP, rwho, and other stuff I haven't thought of that would generate periodic traffic and keep the link up all the time without accomplishing much. - Examples of "useful" traffic include SMTP, ftp, NNTP, NFS, nameserver queries, telnet, and most other services which should start up a PPP link if it's needed. - Examples of "forbidden" traffic would mostly depend on the security environment, would probably duplicate the function of a "firewall", and might include incoming telnet, incoming ftp, incoming rlogin, etc. - It should be possible to disconnect the link while keeping logical connections alive. For example, I nfs-mount a server's file system read-only, copy a few files to a local disk, start compiling them (which no longer requires the remote file system), the link times out and disconnects. An hour later I discover I forgot a few files, start copying them and the link comes up again (no remount required). I ftp to another site and start a big transfer, then go to lunch. The link drops when the transfer is done, but leaves the ftp session up. (Yes, I know hogging ftp sessions on public-access servers is anti-social if done for a long time.) Yes, I'm leaving open the possibility of having NFS mounts, FTP sessions, telnet sessions, etc., staying up for weeks and months using only minutes of internet-service-provider time. - When the link isn't being used for PPP, it can be used for outgoing UUCP or tip, incoming UUCP, or incoming PPP from the service provider if the provider is willing to do that. If the link's not available when needed (on the same line or a different one), the packets get dropped and whatever sent them times out eventually. This means that a network session can potentially stay up through (external) modem replacements, phone line replacements, phone company central offices burning down and being rebuilt, and Internet Service Providers going bankrupt and being replaced (assuming I can keep my IP address). How much of a pipe dream is this? Is establishing a ftp session going to be possible if the first packet sent through (bringing the link up) takes a minute to transmit? Are TCP "keepalives" going to keep the link up all the time anyway? In what areas does the existing PPP implementation (pick your favorite platform: FreeBSD, NetBSD, Linux) fall short of what I want, and is it possible (with lots of work, probably) to add it? Without kernel mods other than the usual reconfiguration? Gordon L. Burditt sneaky.lonestar.org!gordon