---
name: "pppoe-discovery"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "ppp"
version: "2.5.4-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/pppoe-discovery"
---

# pppoe-discovery(8)

perform PPPoE discovery

## NAME

pppoe-discovery - perform PPPoE discovery

## SYNOPSIS

**pppoe-discovery** \[ *options* \]\
 **pppoe-discovery** { **-V** \| **-h** }

## DESCRIPTION

**pppoe-discovery** performs the same discovery process as **pppoe**, but does not initiate a session. It sends a PADI packet and then prints the names of access concentrators in each PADO packet it receives.

## OPTIONS

- **-I** *interface*

  The **-I** option specifies the Ethernet interface to use. Under Linux, it is typically eth0 or eth1. The interface should be “up” before you start **pppoe-discovery**, but should *not* be configured to have an IP address. This option is mandatory.

- **-D** *file\_name*

  The **-D** option causes every packet to be dumped to the specified *file\_name*. This is intended for debugging only.

- **-U**

  Causes **pppoe-discovery** to use the Host-Uniq tag in its discovery packets. This lets you run multiple instances of **pppoe-discovery** and/or **pppoe** without having their discovery packets interfere with one another. You must supply this option to *all* instances that you intend to run simultaneously.

- **-S** *service\_name*

  Specifies the desired service name. **pppoe-discovery** will only accept access concentrators which can provide the specified service. In most cases, you should *not* specify this option. Use it only if you know that there are multiple access concentrators or know that you need a specific service name.

- **-C** *ac\_name*

  Specifies the desired access concentrator name. **pppoe-discovery** will only accept the specified access concentrator. In most cases, you should *not* specify this option. Use it only if you know that there are multiple access concentrators. If both the **-S** and **-C** options are specified, they must *both* match.

- **-A**

  This option is accepted for compatibility with **pppoe**, but has no effect.

- **-V** \| **-h**

  Either of these options causes **pppoe-discovery** to print its version number and usage information, then exit.

## AUTHORS

**pppoe-discovery** was written by Marco d'Itri \<md@linux.it\>, based on **pppoe** by Dianne Skoll \<dianne@skoll.ca\>.

## SEE ALSO

[pppoe(8)](/pppoe/8.md), [pppoe-sniff(8)](/pppoe-sniff/8.md)