[lug] Dialup modems and Linux

[Justin-lists]

I have been forced to go back to dialup after moving into our new house. I 
didn't think it would be such a nightmare. I used dialup with linux years 
ago, but I don't remember exactly how I did it. I think I used minicom to 
dialup then manually activated pppd. Anyhow, I've been trying for 3 days off 
and on to get this working and I have gotten absolutely nowhere. My modem 
works fine in Windows, no problem. But I cannot get things to work in Linux. 

First modem attempt, an old isa Cardinal 56k modem. Works ok in windows on 
com2. I put it in my linux box and link /dev/modem to /dev/ttys1. Minicom 
can see the modem and I can get tone with it and actually dial my isps 
number. But as soon as the "connection" tones (you know, the (in)famous 
modem tone) go away I can hear the modem hang up, and I get nowhere, logs 
show me nothing. I tried using wvdial as well with no luck. Wvdialconf tells 
me there is no modem found, great. I found this tool from Redhat 
called "redhat-config-network", it also tells me no modem found when I probe 
for modems, yay. Have I mentioned that I hate dialup w/ a passion yet? 

Modem number 2. I decide to get a modem that was built within the last 5 
years or so. So I go buy a creative labs pci modem in hope that linux would 
actually recognize teh hardware, being it a pci device and not isa. So, I 
plug the new modem into the Linux box. Wow, kudzu found it! Kudzu went 
through and "configured" teh modem, but I couldn't really tell what it did 
exactly. I got booted back up and went to try wvdial again. I ran 
wvdialconf....no modems found again?? I ran redhat-config-network and probed 
for modems, no modems found...I tried linking /dev/modem 
to /dev/ttyS0, /dev/ttyS1, /dev/cua0, /dev/cua1, etc just to see if I could 
get anything to budge. I could get nothing to work. Also, I could not even 
get minicom to see the new modem. No tone or anything, so I am actually in 
worse shape with the new modem than I was with my ancient isa modem. How can 
I get linux to see this !E@$#@% modem?

Ugh, I have been through many linux dialup howto's and the linux ppp howto 
(which I think went out of date in the late 90's!) many times. I am giving 
up at this point because I have no clue as to what to do next. I am so 
frustrated trying to get a stupid modem to work. And for what? When I 
finally do get this working, I'll have a mean 56k connection to serve my 6 
computers at home, UGH! Somebody please bring me broadband!!!!

Oh yea, anyone have any ideas on this? :)

Justin

--
glow at jackmoves.com