DOS PPP: Getting Started

Most standard DOS TCP/IP (PPP) applications run on top of a packet driver, a separate TSR program, that may or may not be included in the distribution of the program. This is necessary because TCP/IP is not built into the DOS operating system. However, once you have dialed into the NCF (your ISP) and successfully loaded the packet driver, you will have established a PPP Internet connection that enables you to run one or more DOS PPP applications on your PC.

This is the most critical stage when using DOS PPP programs, and often the most misunderstood, since it is hidden from the user in some of the larger applications.

Dospppd packet driver

This DOS port of Linux pppd is now recommended for most users. It uses about 70k of conventional or upper memory and can be used with an external dialer or its own chat dialer. The packet driver (epppd.exe) that comes with Arachne and other applications is a dospppd packet driver.

pppstart.zip

The packet driver, the chat dialer, and a few small PPP programs, along with documentation and instructions for setting up and testing a DOS PPP connection on NCF can be downloaded from the PDA in

http://www.ncf.ca/ncf/pda/computer/dos/net/pppstart.zip

filelist | readme.1st | pppd.cfg | chatscr | wattcp.cfg | config.tel

This basic setup can be used to run other DOS TCP/IP programs, including Arachne, Lynx386, ftp, NCSA Telnet, SMTP/POP, and NNTP.

Note to dialup (text) users

For help with using the PDA, Your Choice ==> go pda