[lug] PPP question

[Eric Weber]

I recently upgraded by Debian box from 2.0 to 2.1.  After the upgrade I
noticed that my ppp connection would transmit packets every 30 seconds or
so, even when I wasn't doing anything.  My ppp log reveals:

Apr  8 21:20:45 pluto pppd[214]: sent [LCP EchoReq id=0x22
magic=0x1d0187a4]
Apr  8 21:20:45 pluto pppd[214]: rcvd [LCP EchoRep id=0x22
magic=0xb1ec3862]
Apr  8 21:21:15 pluto pppd[214]: sent [LCP EchoReq id=0x23
magic=0x1d0187a4]
Apr  8 21:21:16 pluto pppd[214]: rcvd [LCP EchoRep id=0x23
magic=0xb1ec3862]
Apr  8 21:21:45 pluto pppd[214]: sent [LCP EchoReq id=0x24
magic=0x1d0187a4]
Apr  8 21:21:45 pluto pppd[214]: rcvd [LCP EchoRep id=0x24
magic=0xb1ec3862]

etc.  I'm afraid I don't know what this is.  Is it harmless?  Is there a
way I could turn off this behavior?  Thanks.

Eric Weber
-------------------------------
Department of Mathematics
Texas A&M University
http://www.math.tamu.edu/~weber