# Can't connect to ISP: PPPD: No shared secret (password)

## sleepless.knight

[Solved] javascript:emoticon(' :Cool: ')

Firstly, I apologise if someone has posted this problem and a solution anywhere. I have looked and looked and found no posting.

Description.

Used a broadband connection to set up my Gentoo box for home (I use Gentoo at work). Configured a manual IP address, with default Gateway for the subnet I was connected to for installation.

Compiled ppp support into the kernel.

emerged ppp.

No error messages - schweeeet! (javascript:emoticon(' :Laughing: ') emerge rocks by the way!) Took the machine home. Ran Kppp expecting everything to just work... and it did, almost. Kppp found my modem, initialised it, dialled up then complained that pppd exited with an error code 1 (see man pppd for what this means). Booted back to Windoze, browsed and browsed searching for a solution, checked and rechecked, emerged ppp again using the ebuild on disk, nothing complained about anything - except still no access to my ISP.

Turned debug on in pppd via. Kppp and got the following in the logs...

```

Jan  3 17:23:40 [pppd] By default the remote system is required to authenticate itself

Jan  3 17:23:40 [pppd] (because this system has a default route to the internet)

Jan  3 17:23:40 [pppd] but I couldn't find any suitable secret (password) for it to use to do so.

Jan  3 17:23:40 [pppd] (None of the available passwords would let it use an IP address)

```

Now after three days of "fiddling", here is the solution...

I still had my default Gateway set up for the subnet that I used to build the box on. 

1. Turn the default Gateway off for eth0 by commenting out, or removing the appropriate line in /etc/conf.d/net (gateway="eth0/w.x.y.z").

2. Either reboot, or stop and restart net.eth0 (/etc/init.d/net.eth0 stop/start) and pppd no longer complains and works like a charm.

The only reason I am sharing this somewhat embarrassing javascript:emoticon(' :Embarassed: ') episode is to save someone else the time and grief! If you're a quick enough typist, the solution takes under a minute - not three days!

----------

## sleepless.knight

Further humble appologies for the emoticons!

----------

## nachiketa

Jan  3 17:23:40 [pppd] By default the remote system is required to authenticate itself

this means you are asking your isp to authenticate itself to you. are you sure your isp is upto speed on that 1 ?  :Smile: 

emoticons - dont drag em here just type the corresponding chars such as ' :Razz: 

----------

## nachiketa

auth

#dont auth me no more

----------

## sleepless.knight

Some ISPs are up to it. I found reference to one in the UK who provides you with information about how to set up the /etc/ppp/chap-secrets file. My ISP is not such a beast.

I did try the pppd noauth option, it then complained about mutually exclusive options. I tried explicitly turning off various options to no avail. It may well be possible to get pppd to be happy with the gateway specified on eth0 (as opposed to ppp0) as mine was, but after three days of frustration I'm just fatter (from sitting on my behind long hours at the computer) and balder (from pulling my hair out!). If anyone posts a solution that does not involve removing the default dateway from eth0, I'm interested, but at this point, I have no desire to be that man! Too busy enjoying my 2.6.0 kernel emerging and compiling while I'm happily cruising the Internet and I still have a responsive system!

Also, thanks for the pointer about the emoticons.  :Cool: 

----------

## nachiketa

fatter and balder maybe,

never the less a wiser n00b,

try wvdial too,

man wvdial

advantage?

get connected without startin X

cheers!  :Smile: 

----------

