OpenBSD multi-link pppoe

Question

I'm trying to configure OpenBSD to connect to my ISP (teksavvy) using PPP with multi-link enabled, so as to avoid the throttling of the DSLAM last-mile provider (Bell), ala. Tomato/MLPPP. Unfortunately, I cannot seem to get multi-link ppp negotiated.

I couldn't find any documentation about server-land ppp having multi-link support, so I've been trying to do it with user-land ppp.

My /etc/ppp/ppp.conf is as follows:

default:
 set log Phase Chat LCP IPCP CCP tun command

pppoe:
 disable ipv6
 add default HISADDR
 set device "!/usr/sbin/pppoe -i rl1"
 set mtu max 1472
 set mru max 1472
 enable tcpmssfixup
 set speed sync
 disable acfcomp protocomp
 deny acfcomp
 set authname "[email protected]"
 set authkey "ABC"

 set mrru 1590

When I connect with ppp pppoe, and then > show mp states:

Multilink is inactive

My Side:
 Discriminator: Null Class

His Side:
 Discriminator: Null Class

Defaults:
 MRRU:          1590 (multilink enabled)
 Short Seq:     enabled & accepted
 Discriminator: enabled & accepted
 AutoLoad:      min 0%, max 0%, period 5 secs

I imagine that "Multilink is inactive" indicates that I do not have a multilink connection that would circumvent the bandwidth throttling, however the "MRRU: 1590 (multilink enabled)" statement seems to indicate the opposite. The Glasnost test complains that there is too much noise to determine whether the bandwidth is being throttled.

So my first question would be: How do I know if I have a single-line multilink ppp connection, of the sort that would circumvent throttling, actually working on OpenBSD?

If I do not have multilink ppp configured properly, I'd be quite grateful for suggestions on how to activate it.

Based on what I've read, I suspect that one or more fo the following configuration options must be set, in some way:

• clone 1,2
• link deflink remove
• link 1 set device ...

However, I don't know the correct settings for such options to get multilink ppp working.

This question has come up on dslreports, but I've not seen a useful answer by way of that discussion.

I'm very appreciative of any input that may be of assistance in resolving this question.

Thank you very much for any input you may be able to provide.

Kind regards,

Brian

Answer 1

TekSavvy's MLPPP accounts are something like "[email protected]" rather than the teksavvy.com credentials. You have to have them create an MLPPP account for you. There is a monthly fee ($4 I think - includes fixed IP)

Answer 2

The above ppp.conf essentially works, once you notify the ISP that you want MLPPP enabled, but needs a clone dummy line to create two links. Without cloning the link it seems ppp just doesn't create a multilink connection.