Networking :: how to set up cable modem?

I can't understand how to set up a connection to my ISP. damnsmalllinux is a great concept...now if I can only get it to work so I can get connected, I would really have something :;):

I have ethernet connected to a cable modem. In the dreaded windows/xp (may it soon be forgotten) I have some kind of object which represents the ethernet card and one which represents some kind of a "dialer." In that, I specify the ip address of my ISP, my user id, etc.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Rand

Normally, your cable modem uses DHCP to connect to the computer through the ethernet connection. DSL should detect your ethernet card in the computer when you boot up and then connect to the internet through your cable modem which has already detected your ethernet card's IP address using the DHGCP server. DSL has a DHCP client that allows the DHCP server to connect to it.
Some providers, usually the DSL ones, use PPPOe connections which require you to enter a password and user ID. DSL has tools for both of those in the DSL control panel.

Thanks, man, but I'm still clueless. Can you gimme an idea of the steps in setting this up?

I need to understand how I get to the place where I can enter all the specifics in. If I have something to go on I can shut this down and boot up dsl. I also just downloaded the 2.2rc1 and I'll burn it in a minute. I only have one machine available at the moment which sucks since I can't see what people are saying to help me and try it at the same time.

The ethernet card is definitely detected. On Windows the connection uses PPTP VPN if that helps to understand what kind of connection I am trying to make.

Thanks.

OK, I may have confused you with the reference to DSL. I meant DSL the internet connection, not Linux. Anyway, VPN is a different animal. You are making a direct point-to-point connection with another computer that's providing the internet connection. I'm not sure how to do that with DSLinux since I've never tried it.
If you have your ethernet card plugged in and DSL booted up, then with DHCP it just works. With PPPOe you just need the extra steps of adding username and password, and maybe IP address or your gateway.
What happens when you open up Firefox after booting up DSLinux?

I don't understand how to get to the screens where I enter this stuff in. I tried the pppoe but it seems to just lock up.

When my ethernet card enables the network connection, I'm connected to my cable provider. What I can't do is to connect to the ISP, because I don't know how to enter any details.

When I go to the internet, my cable provider gives me their welcome screen no matter what URL I use. This is what happens on Windows when I don't connect to my ISP.

The connection says "Optional encryption" so maybe VPN isn't used if it's not required. Let's forget about the VPN issue because the main thing is for me to know how to set up the connection. Basically, with cable, the ethernet card is connected to the backbone as long as the modem is on. But you have to tell the backbone which ISP to "dial." That's where I'm stuck. And the DHCP tab is already depressed in the system tool menu and I can't unpress it. I don't know what that means. It occasionally locks up the whole dialog and I can't get out of it, and the CPU runs to 100%.

Thanks again.

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