One of the problems stopping me from adopting linux
 

The major problem that is keeping booting into windows the majority of the time is that my modem is not stable. I have a Crap WinModem using the open source conexant driver.

The modem is fine but my internet connection is not. I can browse for between 2-30 minutes before KPPP reports the pppd died suddenly caught error 16 (SIGHUP). My ISP says they have a NO CARRIER record where these errors are occuring on their end, and they tell me that means their system can no longer locate my modem. This error occurs maybe 6 times per hour, so it's expensive.

Would this be my modem? What is a good cheap modem that I could buy that has native driver support for linux? Otherwise what else should I do to troubleshoot this problem?

thanks for the help.

well, u can try digging into http://linmodems.org/ . They have a mailing list where issues related to winmodem linux drivers would most likely get an answer from the developer of the drivers.

cheap modems? well, here in my country (Philippines), we can get 2nd hand external US Robotics modem at rock-bottom prices. they're cheap but really good under Linux. brand new D-Link modems are relatively inexpensive so I suggest that you get them instead (external via serial port, of course).

hth.

indeed. a cheap hardware modem would be a good
alternative for your winmodem.

Why an external serial modem?

Why not an internal one (just curious, I don't connect through my modem, I connect via a network)?

Because most internal modems are winmodems - external ones can be used by all OSes.

okay, I think I'm just going to buy myself a modem and see what happens, it seems the most probable thing wrong.

I figured out that by watching the kppp statistics I can see when the modem 'stalls' and it's then that pppd dies. So if I just stop whatever request I'm sending and wait like 1 minute, suddenly data will be transmitting again. it's annoying but workable.

anyway thanks for the help, I'll try to find a brand that has native support for linux.

Just as a rant, if it weren't for bloody hardware vendors that don't provide native linux drivers my setup would have been really smooth. Instead I can't get my sound card or modem going properly. I wish vendors would wake up.

cheers.

Even before you buy a hardware modem follow the advice from born4linux (here above) and check http://www.linmodems.org !!!

just in case anyone else runs into this problem, I managed to find the fix. It was just a setting in the ppd options. It was set to assume a dead line if more than 3 LVP packets were unanswered. I raised this to 64 and now I stay connected for as long as I want even with my crappy $15 winmodem. :) :)