ncutil 3

Creating a network service that layers PPP over top of an ethernet interface is accomplished through two steps. First, a network service for the ethernet interface must be created.

Listing 13: Creating and examining a new ethernet service.

[0 ]$ create-service 90 4 PPPoE [0 ]$ ls 90 drw 91 NetInfo Global NetInfo drw 92 Internal Modem Service drw 99 Bluetooth Service drw 106 Built-in Ethernet Service drw 113 Built-in FireWire Service drw 119 AirPort Service drw 127 DHCP Service drw 134 PPPoE Service [0 ]$ ls 134 drw 135 Built-in Ethernet Interface drw 136 IPv4 Protocol drw 137 DNS Protocol drw 138 IPv6 Protocol drw 139 AppleTalk Protocol drw 140 Proxies Protocol [0 ]$ read 135 -r- bsd-device = en0 -r- layerable-interfaces = { PPP } -r- mac-address = 00:0a:95:73:cb:38

Notice that the interface can have a PPP interface layered on top of it; this is exactly what is done to create a PPPoE service. The command takes as its arguments the directory ID or path of the service to be modified and the name of the new interface layer (from the layerable-interfaces property displayed in Listing 13).

	Listing 14: Layering a PPP interface on top.
	[0 ]$ push-interface 134 PPP [0 ]$ ls -R 134 drw 141 PPP --> Built-in Ethernet Interface drw 142 |-Built-in Ethernet Interface drw 136 IPv4 Protocol drw 137 DNS Protocol drw 138 IPv6 Protocol drw 139 AppleTalk Protocol drw 140 Proxies Protocol

The recursive directory listing shows that a PPP interface has been added on top of the existing Built-in Ethernet interface. All of the configuration data necessary to initiate the PPPoE connection are properties of the PPP --> Built-in Ethernet directory (ID 141 here).

Warning! Once the PPP interface has been pushed on top of the Built-in Ethernet interface it cannot be removed. The logic here is simple: a PPPoE network service and a regular ethernet-type service are distinct enough to be considered two interface subclasses. If the user needs a PPPoE network service, then its unlikely that the protocols, etc, for that service would apply to a standard ethernet service, anyway.

Previous Chapter

Table of Contents

Next Chapter