ipconfig - What data does the PPP adapter convert?

D

Detlef Lechner

Hi folks,
my Windows_XP computer is connected to the internet via an
ethernet adapter, ethernet cable, ADSL modem, ISDN outlet,
local loop, Central exchange and ISP to the internet. It
works all right.
Inputting "ipconfig /all" at my Windows_XP DOS prompt will
display this output:

Windows IP configuration
....

Ethernet adapter 'LAN connection'
connection-specific DNS suffix: (empty)
description: SiS900-Based PCI Fast Ethernet Adapter
Physical Address: 00-10-DC-F6-84-A7
DHCP active? Yes
Auto configuration active? Yes
IP Address: 192.168.1.100
....

PPP adapter 'snafu_dsl'
connection-specific DNS suffix: (empty)
description: WAN (PPP/SLIP) interface
Physical address: 00-53-45-00-00-00
DHCP activated? No
IP address: 217.230.168.39
....

There is definitively only one hardware adapter in my
computer. It is the ethernet adapter. So I presume that
the "PPP adapter 'snafu_dsl'" is a software data converter?
What kind of data or protocol does the "PPP adapter 'snafu_dsl'"
convert or transform or adapt into what other data or protocol?
The context menu informed me that the PPP adapter 'snafu_dsl' is
a WAN miniport (PPPoE) but I do not know what a WAN miniport is.

Regards,
Detlef Lechner
 
G

Gert Belsemeyer

Detlef said:
Hi folks,
my Windows_XP computer is connected to the internet via an
ethernet adapter, ethernet cable, ADSL modem, ISDN outlet,
local loop, Central exchange and ISP to the internet. It
works all right.
Inputting "ipconfig /all" at my Windows_XP DOS prompt will
display this output:

Windows IP configuration
...

Ethernet adapter 'LAN connection'
connection-specific DNS suffix: (empty)
description: SiS900-Based PCI Fast Ethernet Adapter
Physical Address: 00-10-DC-F6-84-A7
DHCP active? Yes
Auto configuration active? Yes
IP Address: 192.168.1.100
...

PPP adapter 'snafu_dsl'
connection-specific DNS suffix: (empty)
description: WAN (PPP/SLIP) interface
Physical address: 00-53-45-00-00-00
DHCP activated? No
IP address: 217.230.168.39
...

There is definitively only one hardware adapter in my
computer. It is the ethernet adapter. So I presume that
the "PPP adapter 'snafu_dsl'" is a software data converter?
What kind of data or protocol does the "PPP adapter 'snafu_dsl'"
convert or transform or adapt into what other data or protocol?
The context menu informed me that the PPP adapter 'snafu_dsl' is
a WAN miniport (PPPoE) but I do not know what a WAN miniport is.

Regards,
Detlef Lechner
Click to expand...
Hi Detlef,
I would almost assume it were not necessary to communicate in english,
as your name sounds somewhat German, if so we could follow up in
"native language email conversation" if need be.
So far 4u this info:
The 192.168.x.x is your local IP adress of the ethernet adapter. You
don't need to care about that as long as you don't want to set-up a
local network of some PCs linked via e.g. a switch / router to share
your DSL connection _and_ communicate with each other.
The 217.230.x.x is the usually dynamically assigned IP from your ISP
for your DSL adapter. You may simply forget about that, as it will be
different every time you connect to your provider. PPP or more precise
PPPoE is the protocol used over DSL and the WAN Miniport *device* is a
virtual Modem serving that connection.

HTH
Gert Belsemeyer
 
D

Detlef Lechner

Hi Gert,

Gert Belsemeyer said:
PPP or more precise
PPPoE is the protocol used over DSL and the WAN Miniport *device* is a
virtual Modem serving that connection.
Click to expand...
Not yet fully understood.
Are there one or two connections from my computer
to the internet at the same time?
If the WAN Miniport is a modem *device*, why do I need
yet that DSL modem device made by Siemens AG which is
inserted in the twisted pair between my computer and
the ISDN outlet in my house?
What differentiates my PPP adapter from my ethernet adapter
apart from different IP addresses?

Sorry to be stubborn.
Detlef
 
S

Sharon F

Hi Gert,


Not yet fully understood.
Are there one or two connections from my computer
to the internet at the same time?
If the WAN Miniport is a modem *device*, why do I need
yet that DSL modem device made by Siemens AG which is
inserted in the twisted pair between my computer and
the ISDN outlet in my house?
What differentiates my PPP adapter from my ethernet adapter
apart from different IP addresses?

Sorry to be stubborn.
Detlef
Click to expand...

Detlef, my explanation won't be as fancy as Gert's but in case they
don't make it back to this thread -- You have one internet connection.
The miniport and other components involved with the active online
connectoid work in tandem. Think of the miniport as an embellishment
that helps the connection work the way it's supposed to. It is a
software device, as you guessed before. There is no physical hardware
attached to it.

Sharon F
MS MVP
[Windows XP - Shell/User]
 
J

Jim Macklin

SNAFU is a WWII radio word used to express displeasure with
the current state of events. It and FUBAR are ways to use
the F word... So any snafu_dsl file would be suspect.
PPP means Point to Point Protocol and WAN means Wide Area
Network, so using a little thought...
WAN miniport-PPPoE would be software to allow point to point
networking within a wide area network.


| Dear Sharon,
| I'm almost desperate. I put simple a simple question in
this Newsgroup
| to explain the output of my ipconfig / all command.
| I have tried to get the answer for a week now. I have got
2 books about
| TCP/IP technology, one about Windows_XP, the ITU-T ADSL
standard, I
| googled for days and I followed Newsgroup threads.
|
| >
| > Detlef, my explanation won't be as fancy as Gert's but
in case they
| > don't make it back to this thread -- You have one
internet connection.
| > The miniport and other components involved with the
active online
| > connectoid work in tandem. Think of the miniport as an
embellishment
| > that helps the connection work the way it's supposed to.
It is a
| > software device, as you guessed before. There is no
physical hardware
| > attached to it.
| >
|
| So let me repeat my question:
| 1. What kind of data does the PPP adapter 'snafu_dsl'
convert into what
| kind of data?
| 2. How does Microsoft define a 'WAN-Miniport (PPPoE)'?
|
| Detlef
 
J

Jim Macklin

SNAFU is a WWII radio word used to express displeasure with
the current state of events. It and FUBAR are ways to use
the F word... So any snafu_dsl file would be suspect.
PPP means Point to Point Protocol and WAN means Wide Area
Network, so using a little thought...
WAN miniport-PPPoE would be software to allow point to point
networking within a wide area network.


| Dear Sharon,
| I'm almost desperate. I put simple a simple question in
this Newsgroup
| to explain the output of my ipconfig / all command.
| I have tried to get the answer for a week now. I have got
2 books about
| TCP/IP technology, one about Windows_XP, the ITU-T ADSL
standard, I
| googled for days and I followed Newsgroup threads.
|
| >
| > Detlef, my explanation won't be as fancy as Gert's but
in case they
| > don't make it back to this thread -- You have one
internet connection.
| > The miniport and other components involved with the
active online
| > connectoid work in tandem. Think of the miniport as an
embellishment
| > that helps the connection work the way it's supposed to.
It is a
| > software device, as you guessed before. There is no
physical hardware
| > attached to it.
| >
|
| So let me repeat my question:
| 1. What kind of data does the PPP adapter 'snafu_dsl'
convert into what
| kind of data?
| 2. How does Microsoft define a 'WAN-Miniport (PPPoE)'?
|
| Detlef
 
S

Sharon F

Dear Sharon,
I'm almost desperate. I put simple a simple question in this Newsgroup
to explain the output of my ipconfig / all command.
I have tried to get the answer for a week now. I have got 2 books about
TCP/IP technology, one about Windows_XP, the ITU-T ADSL standard, I
googled for days and I followed Newsgroup threads.



So let me repeat my question:
1. What kind of data does the PPP adapter 'snafu_dsl' convert into what
kind of data?
2. How does Microsoft define a 'WAN-Miniport (PPPoE)'?

Detlef
Click to expand...

Detlef, see Jim Macklin's response.

Also, your email address is showing in the headers as @snafu.de I don't
mean to state the obvious but it would appear that the snafu_dsl adapter
is handling your connection to your broadband connection.

These adapters are your pipeline for data to be exchanged between you
and the ISP: requests to logon/logoff, to send/receive email, to serve
up a web page, etc. If you want to know exactly what is being
transferred, you would need to run software that creates reports on the
contents of the incoming and outgoing data packets.

Sharon F
MS MVP
[Windows XP - Shell/User]
 

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