[NTLUG:Discuss] [Bulk] modem-based isp questions

[Leroy Tennison]

jm wrote:
> i have an older pc that i've loaded with linux/ms dual-boot and will
> give to a couple whose old pc bit the dust.  they say their isp was/is
> aol.  my questions:
>
> 1. does aol require their own software to connect/authenticate, or
> will any conventional dialup/authentication sequence work with them?
>
> 2. does anyone know of any free dialup isp in the US?  there used to
> be some, just don't know if any still operate.
>
> i have ethernet installed in the pc as well as a modem, just not sure
> dsl is an option financially, so i'm going with the dialup.  also,
> english is not their strongest point, so getting straight answers is a
> bit of an exercise.
>
> thanks for any help,
> joe
>
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>   
I don't know about AOL but i ran into the "Linux barrier" with Prodigy a 
few years back - their Technical Support wouldn't even go there.  What I 
found worked in that situation may be helpful to you:

Told them I was in a situation where I couldn't install their software 
(they even asked "Another Windows PC", I dodged and managed to get past 
that one)
Asked what I needed to know to do my own dial up.  They probably assumed 
Windows DUN but I didn't care.  I got a list of phone numbers to call, 
their DNS server addresses and their POP3/SMTP addresses.

Had to play around with the KDE software doing the dialing (the 
diagnostic terminal was a key ingredient to success). 
What I learned from the process was: Not all phone numbers behaved the 
same, some auto-started PPP and others had to be explicitly started - so 
I set up scripts per phone number dialed.  Second, for some reason the 
phone numbers changed on occasion and I had to call to get new ones.  I 
suspect their software handled all of this behind the scenes.