Internet Connection Setup

Overview

Secrets in This Chapter

• Understanding How DSL Works

• Learning the DSL Alphabet Soup-ADSL, IDSL, SDSL

• Setting Up a DSL Connection

• Understanding How a Cable Modem Works

• Setting Up a Cable Modem Connection

• Understanding Wireless Ethernet Networks

• Understanding Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)

• Configuring Wireless Networking

• Understanding the PPP Configuration Files

• Configuring CHAP and PAP Authentication

• Using IP Masquerading to Share an Internet Connection

The Internet is fast becoming a lifeline for most of us. It seems we can't get by a day without it. I know I could not write the book without it. Sometimes I wonder how we ever managed without the Internet. You'll no doubt want to connect your CentOS Linux system (and perhaps your own LAN) to the Internet. In this chapter, I show you how to connect to the Internet in several different ways-depending on whether you have DSL, a cable modem, or a dial-up network connection.

Two of the options for connecting to the Internet-DSL and cable modem-involve connecting a special modem to an Ethernet card on your CentOS Linux system. In these cases, you have to set up Ethernet networking on your CentOS Linux system. This chapter shows you how to set up a DSL and a cable modem connection. I also describe dial-up networking, which involves dialing up an Internet service provider (ISP) from your CentOS Linux system.