System Administration Guide: Network Services

Leased-Line PPP Overview

A hardwired, leased-line PPP configuration involves two peers that are connected by a link. This link consists of a switched or an unswitched digital service leased from a provider. Solaris PPP 4.0 works over any full-duplex, point-to-point leased-line medium. Typically, a company rents a hardwired link from a network provider to connect to an ISP or other remote site.

Comparison of Dial-up and Leased-Line Links


Leased Line 

Dial-up Line 




Uses asynchronous communications. 

Rented from a provider. 

Uses existing telephone lines. 

Requires synchronous units. 

Uses less costly modems. 


Uses standard serial interfaces that are included on most computers. 

Parts of a Leased-Line PPP Link

See the following figure.

Figure 15–3 Basic Leased-Line Configuration

The graphic shows the parts of a leased-line-link, which
are described in the following context.

The leased-line link contains the following parts:

What Happens During Leased-Line Communications

On most types of leased lines, peers do not actually dial each other. Rather, a company purchases a leased-line service to connect explicitly between two fixed locations. Sometimes the two peers at either end of the leased line are at different physical locations of the same company. Another scenario is a company that sets up a router on a leased line that is connected to an ISP.

Leased lines are less commonly used than dial-up links, though the hardwired links are easier to set up. Hardwired links do not require chat scripts. Authentication is often not used because both peers are known to each other when a line is leased. After the two peers initiate PPP over the link, the link stays active. A leased-line link remains active unless the line fails, or either peer explicitly terminates the link.

A peer on a leased line that runs Solaris PPP 4.0 uses most of the same configuration files that define a dial-up link.

    The following process occurs to initiate communication over the leased line:

  1. Each peer machine runs the pppd command as part of the booting process or another administrative script.

  2. The peers read their PPP configuration files.

  3. The peers negotiate communications parameters.

  4. An IP link is established.