🚀 go-pugleaf

I recently installed SuSE 6.2 in a dual boot arrangement using
Bootmagic. For the immediate future, my connection with the Internet is
going to be over a 56K modem with an ISP (Erols) whose contract has
several months to run. Suggestions that I change ISPs would not be
helpful but I need some advice and information. The ISP quite honestly
says that it does not support Unix but has given me the only thing I
really needed, the IP of their news server, without any problems.  I
have found that wvdial works very well indeed to make a connection with
the ISP but two things are apparent.

Once wvdial starts pppd, I have no easy indication that the connection
is still up other than hang-ups of, for example, Netscape or failures of
ping. Second, my ISP negotiates  password "verification" and failure
here is much more common than actual busy signals when dialing. Since
wvdial will have started pppd before the process is complete, I do not
have any indication of success or failure other than the hang-ups.
Wvdial does not check password verification and pppd remains active even
after a failure.

In Windows dial-up networking, I can watch the process and immediately
redial if verification fails. I am impressed by wvdial and would like to
continue to use it but the verification failure and lack of a visual
indication of connection are a pain. Does anyone have any suggestions
for  a visual connection indicator since, AFAIK, such  a signal would
solve both my problems?

TIA,

Jim.