Connecting to the Internet Using Red Hat Linux

This tutorial demonstrates how to connect to Kearney.Net/ISDN using Linux, and applies to all people running Red Hat Linux 6.1 or greater. Although we do not officially support Linux, this tutorial serves to help those customers that wish to give Linux a try.

The First Step: Configuring The Red Hat PPP Dialer...

In order to start connecting to the internet using Red Hat Linux, the Red Hat PPP Dialer must be configured for use with Kearney.Net. The Red Hat PPP Dialer (or RP3) is a new addition to Red Hat Linux 6.1, and is included in Red Hat Linux 6.2 as well.

1. In order to access the Red Hat PPP Dialer, open up a command prompt and type the following:

This will open up the Red Hat PPP Dialer, which should resemble the illustration in Figure 1. There may be two or more choices in the window that pops up. Click on the "loopback" option, and then click "OK". This is shown in Figure 1.
 

Figure 1: Choose Loopback

2. This will bring up the main Red Hat PPP Dialer status window. Right now, there are no connections to Kearney.Net. In order to add one, right-click in the black area on the Red Hat PPP Dialer window. This will bring up a menu. Choose the "Configure PPP" option by clicking on it using the left mouse button. This is shown in Figure 2 below.
 

Figure 2: Choose to Configure the PPP Connection

3. If the computer is not booted in root mode, a box will pop up asking for the root password. After typing in the root password, a new window will pop up prompting to add a new internet connection. Click on "Next".

4. If there is no modem configured for the system, a box will pop up stating that the system will now try to detect a modem. Click "Next" on this screen.

5. Red Hat Linux will now detect the proper modem installed in the computer. We recommend using the settings that Linux finds when probing the various COM ports on the computer for a modem. But, if need be, these settings can be changed. It is important to keep in mind that Linux labels COM ports differently than Windows does. Here's a table of comparison:
 

In Figure 3 below, Linux has detected a modem on COM1, or /dev/ttyS0. This setting can be changed by clicking on the down arrow to the right of the modem setting. Also shown in Figure 3 are the modem baud rates (typically set to either 57,600 or 115,200 for a standard 33.6k or 56k modem). These again can be changed in the same way by clicking the down arrow to the right of the Baud Rate settings box. The modem volume can be adjusted by using the Quiet to Loud slider, and the type of dialing can be set by selecting or deselecting the "Use Touch Tone Dialing?" option. Most locations will using touch tone, so it's a good idea to have this option selected. Click "Next" to continue.
 

Figure 3: Add a Modem

6. The next screen will prompt for the proper dialup information to be entered. For the "Account Name", type in "Kearney.net". If the dialing location requires a "9" or "7" or an alternate prefix to obtain an outside line, this should be entered into the "Prefix" box. The area code is unnecessary, as the number to Kearney.net is local. The phone number should read "865-6636". These steps are shown in Figure 4 below. After this information has been entered, click "Next".
 

Figure 4: Enter the Phone Number

7. Next, the computer will ask for the dialup username and password needed to connect to the internet. These are provided by Kearney.net, and any questions on this will be happily answered by our tech support staff (for more information, please call 865-4736). Enter this information in the "User Name" and "Password" boxes. Note that the password will show up as a series of asterisks. After entering this information, click "Next".

8. The next screen will ask for the type of ISP (Internet Service Provider) that is going to be used. Make sure that "Normal ISP" is selected, and hit "Next".

9. The last screen in the setup process contains a summary of the account information, including the name of the account, the dialup username, and the phone number. This information is shown in Figure 5. Click "Finish" to create the account.
 

Figure 5: Finishing the Setup

10. Once the setup is complete, a list of connections pops up in a new window. This is shown in Figure 6 below. Click on the "Close" button.

11. Now, close up the Red Hat PPP Dialer window.
 

Figure 6: The Internet Connections Listing

The Last Step: Connecting to the Internet

Now that Kearney.net is set up and configured on Red Hat Linux, the only remaining step is to get connected.

1. Open up a command prompt and type:

This will bring up the Red Hat PPP Dialer once again. There is one major difference from the last time, however. There is now an entry for Kearney.Net in the window, as is shown in Figure 7. Click once on "Kearney.net", and then click "OK".
 
 

Figure 7: Choose Kearney.net

2. Linux will pop up a prompt with the following text:

Click "Yes". The computer will start to dial Kearney.net and then connect. After the computer is finished connecting to Kearney.net, launch the internet software on the system. Typically, this is Netscape Communicator, as it is shipped with most distributions of Red Hat Linux (Red Hat Linux 6.1 includes Netscape Communicator 4.61 and Red Hat Linux 6.2 includes Netscape Communicator 4.72).

3. To disconnect from the internet, quit Netscape and then right-click on the Red Hat PPP Dialer window. This will pop up a menu. Click on "Disconnect from Kearney.net".