Subject: Re: PPP over null modem
To: Johan Carlsson <johanc@fusion.kth.se>
From: Frederick Bruckman <fredb@fb.sa.enteract.com>
List: port-mac68k
Date: 06/08/1998 10:28:16
On Mon, 8 Jun 1998, Johan Carlsson wrote:

> I could use some help on getting a PPP connection over a null modem up.
> The null modem connects the modem ports on two macs (running NetBSD/mac68k
> 1.3.2). I want to be able to rlogin/telnet and ftp between the machines.
> 
> The problem is that after reading the man pages (pppd(8) etc.) and Dr.
> Stundenmunds ppp kit I'm still really clueless ;-)

I've had some luck connecting with ppp from a DOS box to a 386 over a null
modem, and from the 386 to my Mac over the phone lines. Realize that if
you have an /etc/ppp/options file on either machine, all those options
effectively precede the options on the command line. I've been playing
with /etc/ppp/peers/, but you could just override, on the command line,
all the options that are inappropriate for a direct connection. 

BTW, the modem port is tty00. You might also consider specifying an ip
address.  The command line should probably go something like this, on the
designated server: 

# pppd tty00 57600 lock crtscts local passive 10.10.10.0: connect ""
noauth

The colon is important, else the ip address looks like a baud spec. 
The client might look like this: 

# pppd tty00 57600 lock crtscts local 10.10.10.1: connect "" noauth

"local" is probably optional, if you have a cable that crosses DTR to CD,
but in that case you'll very likely need the "crtscts". "passive" isn't
strictly necessary, either, but it should keep the first machine from
timing out while you set up the other one.

> For starters: How can I make the "server" send an LCP echo? I tried
> pppd /dev/tty01 passive on the server hoping that would make it listen for
> the client, but that just hung the machine. TIA,

I can't imagine how pppd could hang the machine. Good luck.