1You can do network installations over 3 types of communications links:
2
3        Serial port:    SLIP / PPP
4        Parallel port:  PLIP (laplink cable)
5        Ethernet:       A standard Ethernet controller (includes some
6                        PCMCIA networking cards).
7
8SLIP support is rather primitive and limited primarily to directly
9connected links, such as a serial cable running between a laptop
10computer and another PC.  The link must be hard-wired as the SLIP
11installation doesn't currently offer a dialing capability (that
12facility is offered by the PPP utility, which should be used in
13preference to SLIP whenever possible).  When you choose the SLIP
14option, you'll be given the option of later editing the slattach
15command before it's run on the serial line.  It is expected that
16you'll run slattach (or some equivalent command) on the other end of
17the link at that time and bring up the line.  FreeBSD will then
18install itself at serial speeds of up to 115.2K/baud (the recommended
19speed for a hardwired cable).
20
21If you're using a modem then PPP is almost certainly your only choice.
22Make sure that you have your service provider's information handy as
23you'll need to know it fairly early in the installation process.  You
24will need to know your service provider's IP address, the IP address
25of your provider's DNS server, and possibly your own IP address unless
26your ISP supports dynamic negotiation, most do.  If you do not choose
27a PAP or CHAP login you will also need to know how to use the various
28"AT commands" to dial the ISP with your particular brand of modem as
29the PPP dialer provides only a very simple terminal emulator and has no
30"modem capabilities database".  If you choose a PAP or CHAP login you
31can simply enter `dial' (without the quotes) at the ppp prompt if your
32modem uses the Hayes compatible AT command set.
33
34If a hard-wired connection to another FreeBSD (2.0R or later) machine
35is available, you might also consider installing over a "laplink"
36parallel port cable.  The data rate over the parallel port is much
37higher than what is typically possible over a serial line, and speeds
38of over 50KB/sec are not uncommon.
39
40Finally, for the fastest possible network installation, an Ethernet
41adaptor is always a good choice!  FreeBSD supports most common PC
42Ethernet cards, a table of which is provided in the FreeBSD Hardware
43Guide (see the `Documentation' entry in the main menu).  If you are
44using one of the supported PCMCIA Ethernet cards, also be sure that
45it's plugged in BEFORE the laptop is powered on!  Sysinstall does not,
46unfortunately, currently support "hot insertion" of PCMCIA cards.
47
48You will also need to know your IP address on the network, the
49"netmask" value for your address class, and the name of your machine.
50Your system administrator can tell you which values to use for your
51particular network setup.  If you will be referring to other hosts by
52name rather than IP address, you'll also need a name server and
53possibly the address of a gateway (if you're using PPP, it's your
54provider's IP address) to use in talking to it.  If you do not know
55the answers to all or most of these questions then you should really
56probably talk to your system administrator FIRST before trying this
57type of installation!  Choosing the wrong IP address on a busy network
58will NOT make you popular with your systems administrator!  :-)
59