BSNL Broadband Connection in GNU/Linux

Sometimes newbies cannot transit to GNU/Linux Operating systems because they cannot understand how they can configure the features which they had in the previous proprietary OS. In this guide we will describe how to connect to BSNL ADSL broadband. We will discuss both GUI and Command Line tools. Continue reading.

[tweetmeme source=”phoxis”]
We have described the walkthroughs for the below tools.

pppoe-setup: pppoe-setup is a command line tool (a shell script) and needs superuser permission. This tool is an interactive one and easy to configure.
NetworkManager: This is a graphical tool. This is very easy to configure and use, it needs minimal information and also doesnot needs superuser password. Check out http://projects.gnome.org/NetworkManager/
system-config-network: This is a graphical tool comes with all the redhat based distributions needs superuser permission.

Before proceeding make sure that you have the below requirments:

An ADSL modem which is normally provided by BSNL (Generally of HUAWEI brand) or the one you bought.
The modem is connected with the internal LAN card of your system with LAN
cable.
One of the above tools

Do not connect with USB as the USB drivers for the HUAWEI USB drivers are not provided with the hardware and the available are too old and complicated to install. So to make the things simple connect it with LAN.

What you need to do is choose one tool and follow the guide for it. Do not use

all the tools just use one..

“pppoe-setup” Configuration Instructions

Open a terminal, become superuser and run the below command

pppoe-setup

If this fails run

/sbin/pppoe-setup

You will see a similar output as shown below. It will also detect any other existing connections.

Welcome to the PPPoE client setup.  First, I will run some checks on
your system to make sure the PPPoE client is installed properly...

LOGIN NAME

Enter your Login Name (default Phoxis):

You will be prompted to enter the username that BSNL has provided you. Replace

“user_name” with the the username which BSNL provided you.

LOGIN NAME
Enter your Login Name: user_name

Now you will be asked for the network card with which you will connect. Just press Enter to accept the default card. If you have more than one network card, enter the proper device ethX

INTERFACE

Enter the Ethernet interface connected to the PPPoE modem
For Solaris, this is likely to be something like /dev/hme0.
For Linux, it will be ethX, where 'X' is a number.
(default eth0):ethX

Now it will ask that if you want the link to come up on demand, and stay up

continuously. Enter no or just press Enter.

Do you want the link to come up on demand, or stay up continuously?
If you want it to come up on demand, enter the idle time in seconds
after which the link should be dropped.  If you want the link to
stay up permanently, enter 'no' (two letters, lower-case.)
NOTE: Demand-activated links do not interact well with dynamic IP
addresses.  You may have some problems with demand-activated links.
Enter the demand value (default no): no

Next you need to provide the DNS (Domain Name Service) information. BSNL servers

provide the DNS addresses. Just enter “server” as told in the prompt to setup as

the Internet Service Provider will provide the DNS addresses.

DNS

Please enter the IP address of your ISP's primary DNS server.
If your ISP claims that 'the server will provide dynamic DNS addresses',
enter 'server' (all lower-case) here.
If you just press enter, I will assume you know what you are
doing and not modify your DNS setup.
Enter the DNS information here: server

Enter the password of your user id and confirm it

PASSWORD

Please enter your Password: your password here
Please re-enter your Password: your password here

Now you would need to set if you want to allow normal users to connect to the

internet with this connection. Enter “yes or “no” as you wish. We have

entered yes in the example.

USERCTRL

Please enter 'yes' (three letters, lower-case.) if you want to allow
normal user to start or stop DSL connection (default yes): yes

Now to select the firewall settings. There is three levels of firewall to select

from. NONE, STANDALONE, and , MASQUERADE. As the text in the screen

says that it is appropriate to set the firewall to STANDALONE for stand-alone web

surfing workstation. To set it to stand-alone enter “1” at the prompt. Disabling

the firewall is not recommended.

The firewall choices are:
0 - NONE: This script will not set any firewall rules.  You are responsible
          for ensuring the security of your machine.  You are STRONGLY
          recommended to use some kind of firewall rules.
1 - STANDALONE: Appropriate for a basic stand-alone web-surfing workstation
2 - MASQUERADE: Appropriate for a machine acting as an Internet gateway
                for a LAN
Choose a type of firewall (0-2): 1

Set that if you want this connection to come up at boot time. Enter “no” here.

This will need to connect each time you login. This will save unnecessary bandwidth usage

and also be secure, and the the connection under control.

Start this connection at boot time

Do you want to start this connection at boot time?
Please enter no or yes (default no): no

You will see a summary of the information you entered till now and you will be asked to

confirm it. Check the summary for any errors. Enter “y” if all are correct.

** Summary of what you entered **

Ethernet Interface: eth0
User name:          username
Activate-on-demand: No
DNS addresses:      Supplied by ISP's server
Firewalling:        STANDALONE
User Control:       yes
Accept these settings and adjust configuration files (y/n)? y

The connection is configured. You will receive information about the newly created

connection as below.

Adjusting /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-ppp1
Adjusting /etc/ppp/chap-secrets and /etc/ppp/pap-secrets
  (But first backing it up to /etc/ppp/chap-secrets.bak)
  (But first backing it up to /etc/ppp/pap-secrets.bak)

Congratulations, it should be all set up!

Type '/sbin/ifup ppp0' to bring up your xDSL link and '/sbin/ifdown ppp0'
to bring it down.
Type '/sbin/pppoe-status /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-ppp0'
to see the link status.

“pppoe-setup” Connecting Instructions

To use the above created connection:

Launch a terminal, get superuser and execute the following command:

/sbin/ifup ppp0

or,

pppoe-start ppp0

You will be connected in some seconds. When you see the prompt, you are connected, else

you get an error after a long delay. Now launch a web browser

and start working.

To disconnect run

pppoe-stop

or,

/sbin/ifdown ppp0

When you are returned to the prompt, you are logged off.

To check the status of the connection run

/sbin/pppoe-status

Please check the manual pages of pppoe-start, pppoe-stop, and pppoe-setup scripts.

“NetworkManager” Configuration Instructions

The newer releases of different GNU/Linux OSes comes with NetworkManager a wired and

wireless connection application. This enables users to easily and very quickly create

connections without super user privileges. In this guide in my opinion the easiest way is

to connect with NetworkManager. Below are the instructions.

Right Click the NetworkManager Applet icon on the system tray and click “Edit

Connection“

Click the “DSL” tab and then click “Add“

Enter a connection of your choice in the “Connection name:” field. Enter the

BSNL provided username and passowrd in the “Username:” and “Password:”

fields, and click “Apply“

And your connection is ready.

Note: Starting NetworkManager service

To use NetworkManager first you need to make sure that you have NetworkManager installed and the Service is running. Visually, check if you have a small icon of two computer moniters with or without a cross. If yes then NetworkManager is running.

Run the below to check if NetworkManager daemon is running:

service NetworkManager status

If it shows a line as below then NetworkManager is running.

NetworkManager (pid  1891) is running...

Else if it says NetworkManager is dead then, to activate it run the below command.

Login as root and then run the below to start the NetworkManager service. The first one sets up NetworkManager to start at every boot, the second one starts it:

chkconfig NetworkManager on
service NetworkManager start

These are the equivallent GUI instructions: Launch “system-config-service” by “Kmenu ->

Administration -> Sevice Management” in KDE or “System -> Administration

-> Services” in GNOME

Find the NetworkManager service, select it and click the “Enable” button and also

the “Start” button. Provide the root password and click OK, and close the window

If you do not have the NetworkManager then you have to install it first. Run:

If the NetworkManager service is not present then you do not have it installed.

“NetworkManager” Connecting Instruction

To connect the above created connection with NetworkManager:

Left Click the NetworkManager Applet icon on the system tray. Your created connection

will be displayed with the Connection name you entered. Click it to activate it.

After a while you will get connected and will be showed a message.

To Disconnect Right Click on the NetworkManager Applet icon in the system tray

and then Uncheck the box labened “Enable Networking“.

To automatically connect the connection with NetworkManager:

(1)Right Click on the NetworkManager Applet icon in the system tray and click “Edit

Connection”

(2) Select the DSL tab, select your connection and click “Edit”

(3) Check the checkbox labelled “Connect automatically” and click “Apply“.

“system-config-network” Configuration Instruction

We will configure this ADSL connection with the “system-config-network” tool.

To launch “system-config-network” from “Kmenu -> Administration -> Network

Configuration” in KDE, or “System -> Administration -> Network” in

GNOME, Enter the root password, and click “OK”.

Click “New” in the above menu bar in the system-config-network window.

Select “xDSL” connection on the Device type list, and click Forward.

Check the “Ethernet device:” entry, it should be okay. But if you have more

than one network cards then select the appropriate one. If you are not sure, then keep

the default setting.

In the “Provider name” field type in the provider’s name. This can be any name

as you wish. This is just needed to identify the connection.

In the “Account type” list select “Normal“

Then provide the user name and the password that BSNL provided you in the “Login

name” and the “Password” field, and click “Forward“.

You will be presented with a window containing the information which you entered

previously. Click “Apply” if everything looks fine.

Now you will be back to the network configuration window. And notice that a

connection is created. The highlited line in the below picture is the connection which is

just created by me. Now save this created configuration from “Menu -> Save”

(Ctrl + S)

“system-config-network” Connecting Instruction

To connect with the above created connection:

Select the connection you created and click big green “Activate” button on the above and to disconnect click the the big red “Deactivate” button.

For those who also have NetworkManager installed will see the Activate and the Deactivate buttons disabled. This is because the connections are controlled by NetworkManager by default. To enable them and control the connections from system-config-network do the following:

(1) Select the connection.

(2) Click “Edit”

(3) Uncheck the checkbox labeled “Controlled by NetworkManager”

(4) Click “OK

(5) Save the configuration by “File -> Save” from the menu

6 thoughts on “BSNL Broadband Connection in GNU/Linux”

Harshad Joshi says:

January 4, 2010 at 11:06 am

would like to see a similar howto for debian.

1. phoxis says:
  
  January 4, 2010 at 5:11 pm
  
  This instructions could be used in any OS with the above tools installed. You can use the same tools in debian to do the same. You can use NetworkManager in debian, or install rp-pppoe in debian to use the pppoe-setup. Simply what you have to do is to open up the connection manager, create a new pppoe account and enter the BSNL id and password. This is what you have to do in any OS.
  
joy says:

February 4, 2010 at 10:19 am

thanx it’s really worked

1. phoxis says:
  
  February 4, 2010 at 1:09 pm
  
  thanks for the feedback, good to know this helped someone.
  
Barshan Das says:

April 10, 2010 at 12:20 am

Let me share my experience in connecting Airtel internet to my PC.
Yesterday my usual cable network connection got out of order (Alliance broadband…it goes out of order frequently). And I had to check my mailbox. It was urgent. I thought of trying a bit with mobile phone connection.
Here I should mention somethings. Many of readers may know that. To use the mobile Internet , one should have some configuration settings saved in mobile phone. Usually they are supplied by customer care and users should ask them to send the settings. Fortunately I had the settings preloaded in my handset. ( I am using Nokia 7210 supernova). Yet I called Airtel customer care for more knowledge in this matter. They told me I should have Nokia pc suite installed in my PC , otherwise it is not possible to connect to PC. Here comes the bolt from the blue. NOKIA DOES NOT PROVIDE A PC SUITE SOFTWARE FOR LINUX SO FAR.
Ok fine ….. I did not give up. I connected the handset with pc through data cable. Upon connecting that it prompted for a mode. I kept it in Nokia pc suite mode. ( though there is no pc suite in linux).
Now what happened next is the “karishma” of fedora developers.
I opened the network manager. next there was a tab showing mobile broadband. next added new connection.
Now chose my country and service provider name(Airtel for my case). then forward forward ….and forward…… I did not have to set the APN (acces point) and did not need to go through proxy settings even. I was fortunate ….Airtel does not need any proxy settings and network manager chose my connection and APN by default.
I dont know about other connections and about other linux versions.
Will they work in the same way? Who cares! Fedora 12 is amazing. I am connected to Internet in 2 or 3 seconds.

1. phoxis says:
  
  April 10, 2010 at 7:18 pm
  
  Really cool, yes i have heard that the new NetworkManager handles the mobile broadband connections in a very excellent way.