poff

poff [profile_name]

profile_name
    Specifies the name of the PPPoE connection profile to disconnect. If omitted, poff typically attempts to disconnect the default or currently active PPPoE session.

poff is not a standard, standalone Linux command but rather a common utility script provided by PPPoE (Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet) client packages, most notably the rp-pppoe client. Its primary function is to terminate an active broadband connection that was established using PPPoE, typically initiated by a corresponding pon script.

While not part of the core Linux utilities, poff serves as a user-friendly wrapper around lower-level commands like pppd (PPP daemon) or pppoe to cleanly shut down the network interface and associated processes. Its availability and exact behavior are entirely dependent on the specific PPPoE client software installed on the system.

poff is not a universally standard Linux command. Its existence, syntax, and functionality are entirely dependent on the specific PPPoE client software (e.g., rp-pppoe) installed on the system.

It usually requires root privileges or sudo to execute successfully, as it modifies network interfaces and manages system-level processes.

The script's behavior can vary; some implementations might simply kill the pppd process, while others perform a more graceful shutdown and update connection status files.

poff is commonly used to manually disconnect a PPPoE internet connection when it's no longer needed, or before switching to a different network configuration. It's often used in conjunction with pon to manage connection uptime. For example, after running pon to establish a connection, poff would be used later to tear it down.

The poff script, along with its counterpart pon, gained prominence with the widespread adoption of DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) and other broadband internet services that utilized PPPoE for authentication and connection management.

Packages like rp-pppoe (Roaring Penguin PPPoE client) provided these user-friendly scripts to simplify the process of initiating (pon) and terminating (poff) PPPoE connections, abstracting the complexities of managing pppd and network interfaces directly. Its development closely mirrored the evolution of Linux as a desktop and gateway operating system for home and small office broadband users.

pon(1), pppd(8), pppoe(8), pppoe-stop(8)