BiPAC 7000 on Linux - Setting it up for Airtel DSL

Billion's BiPAC 7000 modem is based on conexant's accessrunner chipset. Billion has drivers for the same at http://www.billion.com/support/download/fd/fd1.htm
Unfortunately I couldnot compile them on FC4. This is how I got modem working in Linux.

An opensource project at http://accessrunner.sourceforge.net/ has released drivers for linux. This driver is now officially a part of the linux kernel. So, I downloaded the latest kernel, 2.6.13 from kernel.org. Compiled the same (....after a long time....gosh, it is so much easier these days..)
For compiling the driver correctly, USB and ATM support should be on, which means that prompting for `experimental' code should be turned on as this is required for ATM part (still experimental). Make sure, you select all the necessary options which are required for your system.....google for the same if you haven't compiled kernel.

The driver uploads device's firmware at the boot time. Due to legal constraints, it is not distributed with the open source driver. There is a utility available at accessrunner's sf site which extracts the firmware from the windows drivers' files. Extract the firmware into hotplug firmware directory of your system...usually, /lib/firmware. Check /etc/hotplug/firmware.agent on your system.

When everything is correctly placed, an LED titled ADSL will blink at startup and will come to always on state. You can check the output of `dmesg' to confirm that link is up.

$ dmesg |grep cxacru
usbcore: registered new driver cxacru
cxacru 3-2:1.0: ADSL line: attemtping to activate
cxacru 3-2:1.0: ADSL line: channel analysis
cxacru 3-2:1.0: ADSL line: up (512 kb/s down | 256 kb/s up)

I have Airtel's broadband connection (I am located in New Delhi). For connecting to airtel's network I am using the following scripts.
In /etc/ppp/peers, I have created a script called `airtel' with following contents:


#######START##########

# MUST CHANGE: Uncomment the following line, replacing the user@provider.net
# by the DSL user name given to your by your DSL provider.
# There should be a matching entry with the password in /etc/ppp/pap-secrets
# and/or /etc/ppp/chap-secrets.
user "xxxxxxx@touchtelindia.net"

# Load the PPPoA plugin.
# If needed, change the VP.VC pair to match the ones used by your ISP.
plugin pppoatm.so
1.32

# Enable this option if your ISP uses PPPoA with LLC encapsulation.
llc-encaps

# Assumes that your IP address is allocated dynamically by the ISP.
noipdefault
# Try to get the name server addresses from the ISP.
usepeerdns
# Use this connection as the default route.
# Comment out if you already have the correct default route installed.
defaultroute

# Makes pppd "dial again" when the connection is lost.
#persist

# Do not ask the remote to authenticate.
#noauth

# Do not try to negotiate compression.
nopcomp
noccp
novj

#######END########

As mentioned in the file contents, make enteries in /etc/ppp/pap-secrets and /etc/ppp/chap-secrets for the username mentioned in the file. This will contain the username and password.

Create (if not present) /etc/ppd/ip-up.local

########START########

#!/bin/bash

echo "created by pppd" > /etc/resolv.conf
echo "nameserver ${DNS1}" >> /etc/resolv.conf
echo "nameserver ${DNS2}" >> /etc/resolv.conf

#######END##########

This is required to get the DNS servers from the ISP and put them in /etc/resolv.conf which is used by application for name resolving.

At root prompt, issue the following command:

# pppd call airtel

Hopefully, you will have your net connection running after following these steps!!! If you had to perform some extra steps, do let me know...!

(PS: For disconnecting, issue `killall -9 pppd')