LinuxQuestions.org - Bestdata serial modem (56SX-92) connection problems

I've posted about the problem before but haven't gotten many replies, so i thought I'd give it another go. I've been having problems, never gotten the modem working before, and the ISP has been used in linux before without incident.

I sent this email to Bestdata but hope someone can help me before they can get around to me, if they ever do.

Email:

Hey, I've purchased a Serial modem a ways back, 56SX-92 ("rev2").

Clearly labeled is that it supports linux, but I've been unable to get it into a functioning state.

I was first using Gentoo, and when I added the modem in kppp it could query it, but the modem commands section was completely empty. I managed to scrounge some values up and got it to dial and make all sorts of fun noises, but would hang on connect.

It was hanging at login, I opened up the kppp terminal and talked with the modem myself, feeding it the commands, and got to the login stage. I was then able to log in with my username and password, and it appeared to do something like assign me an IP, but no surf.

So, later... thinking that it was my fault perhaps from some error during installation, I popped in one of my knoppix livecds (based on Debian).

The knoppix cd could query the modem, as well as had a full section of modem commands listed. Unfortunately, it would hang at "Initializing modem". So, from my experience in gentoo I changed the init string from ATZ to ATZ1. There I got it to dial up and attempt to connect. Only problem is, in the terminal it stated it was starting the pppd, and never advanced, causing a timeout.

I then popped in a slax livecd (slackware based) to see if it was just an issue with knoppix and gentoo, and got pretty much exactly the same result as knoppix.

A person has told me there were linux instructions listed on the cd, but searching all of the pdf manuals I could find nothing.

I would appreciate all the help you could give me, of course, you can reach me by the email listed (*******@*****).

Thank you.

(End of email)

I would greatly appreciate if someone could help me fix this, for the sake of getting away from windows again, as well as for the wellness of my sanity.