Well, my honest answer is that I can't say for sure. There are lots of different protocols in use at the point where you connect to the network. At home, I am on SBC's DSL which uses something called P P P O E that stands for Point to Point Protocol Over Ethernet. With that protocol, you use an authentication method involving a password to get to the P P P O E server. When you get logged in, the P P P O E SERVER GIVES YOU AN ip ADDRESS WHICH GETS YOU ON THE iNTERNET. iF YOU USE THE RIGHT KIND OF ROUTER, IT CAN ALSO DO p p p o e SO IT DOES ALL THAT FOR YOU WHEN YOU CONNECT TO THE dsl MODEM. iF YOU ARE ON A LOT OF CABLE tv SYSTEM MODEMS, THERE IS NO p p p o e TO DEAL WITH. yOU ARE EITHER ASSIGNED AN ip ADDRESS WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE TO THE SERVICE OR you get a different IP address each time you connect to the network. Our SBC service gives us a different IP address each time we reconnect unless you want to pay about twice as much each month and then we could get a static IP address and even register a domain name. I don't know if there is software that runs on DOS that will handle the P P P O E negotiation. There certainly are ways in Linux to get on the network. I only use DOS to access Linux any more. I agree that DOS still has its uses such as what we are talking about, but all the neat stuff is happening under UNIX. I had a question on this list about getting telnet and ftp working under DOS so I can telnet to other Linux systems in the same room, but telnet is basically insecure because it is not encrypted in any way. If you, for example, are on a cable TV modem, the neighbors around you are on the same network segment as you and can intercept your communications if they are so inclined. Encrypted communications look like garbage to anybody else. You are more likely to find the latest versions of ssh and browsers capable of SSL which stands for Secure Socket Layer under Linux. I have no idea at all what is available for DOS along those lines, but nobody is doing any real development in DOS any more. Karen Lewellen writes: >I have one additional question though. > > Is there a way to work directly from DOS, say use the network card and > connect to the dSL modem only? _______________________________________________ Blinux-list mailing list Blinux-list@xxxxxxxxxx https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/blinux-list