Can anyone recommend a free ISP for Linux? I am currently using a free ISP on Windows 98, and I want to have one for Linux as well. I haven't been able to find a free ISP that has a dowload for Linux. I know that they are out there, so if you could give me some advice in this area it would be great.
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Looking for a free ISP for Linux
- Thread starter bhunter
- Start date
You can use the same ISP as you are using for the Windows 98 connection. All ISPs these days use PPP for connections, and the remote server is only interested in the fact that something on your PC can request a PPP connection, and then use that connection. The OS does not matter.
In Windows dial-up notworking for your ISP, note down the phone number, and your login name and password. Then boot into Linux and start up "kppp". (Even if you are using Gnome, kppp will still run.)
Set up a new account using the details you have noted down, and then try dialling. If you are unsure as to what to enter in a field, move the pointer over the field and click the right mouse button for context sensitive help.) You should find that you can connect pretty much first time. If you have problems connecting, check for errors in /var/log/messages. You might also want to dial the ISP with kppps log window open.
(For UK folks reading this, I connect to my (currently) toll free LineOne account using kppp.)
Having said all this, if you are in the UK and want to use an ISP that feeds money and resources back into the Linux community, I can highly recommend UKLinux at
Access is via an 0845 local rate number.
And from the home page: "And remember, all the profits from uklinux.net go to funding Open Source/Free Software." This is one excellent ISP!
Hope this helps.
In Windows dial-up notworking for your ISP, note down the phone number, and your login name and password. Then boot into Linux and start up "kppp". (Even if you are using Gnome, kppp will still run.)
Set up a new account using the details you have noted down, and then try dialling. If you are unsure as to what to enter in a field, move the pointer over the field and click the right mouse button for context sensitive help.) You should find that you can connect pretty much first time. If you have problems connecting, check for errors in /var/log/messages. You might also want to dial the ISP with kppps log window open.
(For UK folks reading this, I connect to my (currently) toll free LineOne account using kppp.)
Having said all this, if you are in the UK and want to use an ISP that feeds money and resources back into the Linux community, I can highly recommend UKLinux at
Access is via an 0845 local rate number.
And from the home page: "And remember, all the profits from uklinux.net go to funding Open Source/Free Software." This is one excellent ISP!
Hope this helps.
Karl Blessing
Programmer
as far as free goes, I think I heard 1nol.com works for linux(it doesnt do banners), also if you can hack your netzero username/password you should be able to use linux to dialup on that too, if you already havean ISP you could do what Andy says and use your current ISP(unless of course your current ISP is one of thsoe free ISP like netzero that dont let you just "Dialup"
.
.Does NetZero have a seperate "dialer" program? One of those annoying little applets that seems to do the job of dial-up networking? If it does, and you can't see a NetZero option in the Dial-up Networking folder, do a search of the registry for the string "NetZero". I'd give it an evens chance that you would find your username, password, and telephone number to dial... If that fails, see what turns up in the files in the NetZero installation directory. A hex editor might help if you come across any binary files...
- Thread starter
- #5
Thanks for all of your replies. I am currently using Free Lane by Excite in Windows 98 and I have the phone number, username, and password. So I guess I can just use kppp and plug that information in to use that account on Linux. The banner ads won't make a difference then?
Re the banner ads, where do you get these? Do they display as part of the dialer software or in the browser?
The best way of finding out if it's going to work, though, is to try it! Give it a go and let us know how you get on Post back if you have any queries on kppp.
The best way of finding out if it's going to work, though, is to try it! Give it a go and let us know how you get on
Post back if you have any queries on kppp.
Karl Blessing
Programmer
The way Netzero works, is that it uses a Java applet, to dialup for you, the phone number is real, In an old version of netzero(version 1) I was able to hack it, this doesnt work in the new version, and rarely works in version 2. but anyways
When you start it up, type in the wrong username but the correct password, sometimes, you'll get a dialog after it tries to authenicate you that looks like
:yourbadusername@netzero.net
*************
if you have a revealer program like revelation(found at snadboy.com) you can reveal the password behind the ****, this will be your actual password after conversion, so then from dialup network, or any dialer of your choice, you can just type in the phone # you want,
:username@netzero.net
thenyourrealpassword
that enabled me to get it to work in linux, unfortunatly this information is obselete, since they changed the way things work , so even if you remebered your dialup info from version 1, netzero servers now know wheter it's a dialup other than their own java applet (I think it pings back a application code once connected)
just thought you may find that interesting.
When you start it up, type in the wrong username but the correct password, sometimes, you'll get a dialog after it tries to authenicate you that looks like
:yourbadusername@netzero.net
*************
if you have a revealer program like revelation(found at snadboy.com) you can reveal the password behind the ****, this will be your actual password after conversion, so then from dialup network, or any dialer of your choice, you can just type in the phone # you want,
:username@netzero.net
thenyourrealpassword
that enabled me to get it to work in linux, unfortunatly this information is obselete, since they changed the way things work , so even if you remebered your dialup info from version 1, netzero servers now know wheter it's a dialup other than their own java applet (I think it pings back a application code once connected)
just thought you may find that interesting.
- Thread starter
- #8
I used my free ISP (Free Lane by Excite) with the kppp dialer. I was able to dial, but I can't authenticate with the server. I know that my username and password are correct. The log says that the server is sending bak something like '^F'. Sorry, I don't remember exactly what it said, and I didn't write it down. Anyway, do I need to specify anything else about a DNS server (which I don't know what it is) or a domain name of the provider? Your help in debugging this would be great. I can get the exact command that the log said was coming back from the server. The bottom line is that I don't even authenticate after a connection is made. I am dropped within a couple of seconds.
If you look at /var/log/messages, you can see the conversation between your local PPP and the remote PPP server. To view this while you make the link, run the following command in an xterm:
[tt]
tail -f /var/log/messages
[/tt]
This will give you a running commentary on your connection. The messages in here will be really useful in debugging your connection. Any chance you could note them down and post them here?
You can get your ISPs DNS server IP addresses from Windows. Go into Control Panel, open the "Network" option, select the TCP/IP option in the top window that is linked to your modem, and click properties. Click on the "DNS configuration" tab and note down the displayed details. You can then enter them into the DNS tab of the kppp account details.
On a side note, are you in the UK? If so, the current edition of Linux Format has a lot of space devoted to setting up PPP using kppp. It might speed things along for you if you got hold of this. It also goes into quite some detail about making sure your modem connection is OK.
Either ways, keep us posted on how you get on
[tt]
tail -f /var/log/messages
[/tt]
This will give you a running commentary on your connection. The messages in here will be really useful in debugging your connection. Any chance you could note them down and post them here?
You can get your ISPs DNS server IP addresses from Windows. Go into Control Panel, open the "Network" option, select the TCP/IP option in the top window that is linked to your modem, and click properties. Click on the "DNS configuration" tab and note down the displayed details. You can then enter them into the DNS tab of the kppp account details.
On a side note, are you in the UK? If so, the current edition of Linux Format has a lot of space devoted to setting up PPP using kppp. It might speed things along for you if you got hold of this. It also goes into quite some detail about making sure your modem connection is OK.
Either ways, keep us posted on how you get on
- Thread starter
- #10
Thanks. I was looking at one of the logs while I was trying to connect last night, but I'm not sure if it was the same thing as you mentioned. No, I am not in the UK. I will try what you mentioned and get back with you. I don't know why this has been so difficult, but I am still getting used to Linux. Anyway, thanks again for your help. I won't be able to try what you said until later this evening, and I will have to let you know tomorrow.
Karl Blessing
Programmer
if your free ISP was one that had to use a special dialer, then your username and password may not be the actual one (same case with netzero) also unlike windows, Linux needs every detail, it'll need the IPs of your nameservers,
Your nameservers Ip addys, that your computer contacts to get the IP number for a domain name, like if you typed in microsoft, your NameServer is contacted for the IP address for microsoft.com
other than that, you really only need to know the Phone#, Nameservers, and your login.
Your nameservers Ip addys, that your computer contacts to get the IP number for a domain name, like if you typed in microsoft, your NameServer is contacted for the IP address for microsoft.com
other than that, you really only need to know the Phone#, Nameservers, and your login.
You should be able to get the IP addresses of the DNS servers from the Networks Control Panel applet in Windows. Put these into the "DNS" tab in the account details in kppp and make sure the "disable local DNS while connected" option is checked.
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