BSNL DataOne Internet on Linux

Published on: 2005-7-30

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BSNL DataOne Internet on Linux

2005-07-30T22:45:00

BSNL DataOne(Broadband) Internet on GNU/Linux

The BSNL guys came and installed a Huawei SmartAX MT880 ADSL router today. As my place is about 4 KM away from the telephone exchange, I will not be getting the full 256Kbps promised by the telecom department (it seems ADSL has a distance limit of about 3.5Km for good quality). The telecom department still seems to be not very conversant with Linux - but the people who came to do the installation were very helpful and friendly. I was given the phone number of a person who was using the router with Linux in case I had trouble setting it up - but that was not required as the configuration was very simple. Here are the things to do to get DataOne working on Linux:
  1. Plug in a LAN card and make sure that the required driver is present in the kernel, either compiled-in or loaded as a module.
  2. Connect the router to the ethernet card.
  3. Assign an IP address for the ethernet card; the router has a fixed interface address of 192.168.1.1, so you can use 192.9.168.2 for your ethernet interface. Just do `ifconfig eth0 192.168.1.2'.
  4. Set up the route - just do `route add default gw 192.168.1.1'.
  5. Enter the address of some DNS servers in /etc/resolv.conf ( eg: 61.1.96.69, 61.1.96.71)
  6. Try doing a `ping www.google.co.in'. If it works, great! If not, check whether it is some problem with the DNS settings by pinging a machine with the I/P address rather than the name. If that too doesn't work, you will have to do some configuration on the router.
  7. You can access the router via a browser - just enter the I/P address 192.168.1.1. You basically have to set the connection type to `PPPoE'; on my MT880 box, this comes under `WAN Settings'. You will then have to enter your user name and password (username is of the form xyz@dataone) and reset the router. It will take 2-3 minutes for the box to come up again - when it comes up, it will `automagically' talk with the box at the exchange (via PPP?) and will be assigned a proper IP address. You need not bother about this address as you always see the router at a fixed address of 192.168.1.1.
  8. Try pinging google.com again - it should work! You are now on DataOne!
I am getting connection speeds of about 190Kbps consistently; that should be OK, given the distance. Some of my students who are staying near the telephone exchange report that they are even getting speeds greater than the promised 256Kbps!

G.KRISHNA PRASAD

Fri Jan 11 21:41:46 2008

Sir, I plan buying ACER LAPTOP preloaded with Linux. The reseller is not aware about which version ( red hat, ubantu .. etc) Can I get the Linux working on Acer LAPTOP andget BSNL broadband working. I have worked on linux a few years back jto do some C ,C++ prog and perl. Any help very thankful. Regards Krishna Prasad at Chennai India


Pramode C.E

Sun Jan 13 10:04:22 2008

Krishan Prasad, As far as laptops are concerned, Ubuntu may be the best option - all GNU/Linux distro's would work - but you may not get support for all the h/w which your laptop has (bluetooth, wifi stuff like that). The best way to find out is to read reviews on the net and ask questions in Ubuntu lists. If your ethernet card works properly under GNU/Linux (which it should), BSNL broadband also will work.


Abhijit Jagtap

Tue Jan 15 10:49:33 2008

Hi I am using Ubuntu 7.10 on my desktop and it detects all of my hardware (some of which needs a bit of tweaking..but thats ok) Ubuntu will require you to have atleast 256Mb RAM and a good graphics card (if you need 3d effects) Other distros you would like having no troble with harware compatabilty opensuse,PClinuxOS,Fedoracore...and if you have got a small RAM,do try PuppyLinux or Damn Small Linux (DSL)


madhur

Tue Mar 10 18:26:55 2009

sorry my net has not started yet


madhur

Tue Mar 10 18:13:29 2009

unfortunately my net started yet . when I enter the ip adress of the router it timeouts and shows up nothing . I am using fedora 8 . Any help would be appreciated. My router is DNA-A211-1