Is it possible to manually activate an eth0 connection?

[Bas Roufs]

Dear NoOp, Nils and Everybody

Thanks for all the feedback so far. Now, I am trying to use your
recent feedback to try to solve the eth0-connection problem. In this
message, I want to deal with the file /etc/network/interfaces.
Yesterday I already adapted that file via a command mentioned by one
of you:
> kdesudo kate /etc/network/interfaces
I do manage also to get the changes saved. However, I am not yet sure
whether I did it correctly. Below, you can find a copy of the file as
it is now:

auto lo
iface lo inet loopback
auto eth0
iface eth0 inet static
address 192.168.1.20
netmask 255.255.255.0
gateway 192.18.1.1

The first two lines  (auto lo, iface lo inet loopback) are apparently
standard ones: I found them on both my laptop and my desktop PC. For
the time being, I have left them in my laptop. BUT: It is not clear to
me whether 2 first 2 lines need to:
STAY in addition to the other 5 lines (from 'auto' until and including
'...18.1.1'), or .....
TO BE REPLACED by those other 5 lines.
Could someone amongst you clarify this?

Finally - I have checked most of the names and figures in those last 5
lines by means of ifconfig and some other tests via terminal. 'eth0'
proved to be a correct name according to different tests. I found the
figures related to 'address' and 'netmask' via one of those tests too.
One question remains in this context: I did not yet discover a test my
means of which I could discover the correct figures related to
'gateway'. For the time being, I have put at that place a figure which
seems to be right in many cases. However it may be: does someone
amongst you know a test which reveals the figures related to the
'gateway' at my laptop?



-- 
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Viaconsensus
Bas G. Roufs M.A.
Van 't Hoffstraat 1
NL-3514 VT  Utrecht
M. +31.6.446.835.10
T. +31.30.785.20.40
BasRoufs at gmail.com
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