how install external modem?

I'm a newbie. I've installed Debian via the Knoppix CD but the 3com usrobotics 56K faxmodem hasn't been recognised. I can't find how to install it manually. I can't find how to install any device manually!

When I ran Knoppix from CD, it recognised the modem and "query modem" in kppp was ok. However, I could not connect to the internet. Now I've installed onto hard disk, it won't install modem.

What kind of modem? RS-232? PCI? Winmodem? Hardware modem?

It may be driver trouble, looking at the pppd error messages might help, else, it may be a problem I had: The modem connected alright, and pppd was up and running but no DNS (only connections to actual IP addresses will work) - this was because I used to use an ethernet connection to the internet, and the DNS IP addresses for it were still in the resolv.conf file. If this is the case, you need to (as root) open resolv.conf in an editor and erase everything, then save the file. pppd will write it's temporary DNS IP entries into this file when it starts and if they're the only ones there then they'll be the ones used. Previous static DNS IPs will take presedence over the PPPD temporaries if they're already there.

Hope this helps!

Another Newbie here, but my experiences over the last 10 days may help !

As PsychosisNode said, it may be a Winmodem then your on your own ! Mine was so I went out and bought an external modem and configured it with the command 'setserial'

Otherwise try some of the following commands

'lspci' - to tell you whats there on the PCI Bus(es)
'setpci' - I think sets 'em up

'apropos device |less' will give you a listing of whats available, then its the man pages !

good luck

-P

ellen:

Try booting from your knoppix disk again and then go to kppp setup and write down the command string found in modem commands and your modem address eg. ttys0 / ttys1. (I had to change the defaults for my external modem to work on com port 1) When you finish this step then reboot from you harddrive and check to see if these are the same you could have kppp looking for your modem in the wrong address or an invalid string. you will also have to manually set up your internet provider account in order to connect.

Hi ellen,
How does your modem connect to your computer, USB or serial port ?

Hi folks, I have an external hardware modem. I followed putty's suggestion and found that commands were exactly the same. Modem for both was at dev/modem. I changed this to dev/ttys0 on the hard disk and query modem then worked. Good!

However, I still have same problem as before, cannot then connect via Konqueror. All I can do is ping the remote ip address I am connected to, and nothing else. I cannot use Konqueror to connect to any numbered ip addresses, and cannot ping anything else. Seems like a gateway problem but I am sure my setup is OK.

Using pppstatus shows a 'stalled' message. It seems to me that Konqueror is not sending anything out on the dialup but just looking internally , or something.

It sounds a bit like Psychosis Node's problem. However, I cannot find resolve.conf anywhere to check this out. Where should I look? I've used find file.

Thanks

/etc/resolve.conf is a text file with DNS servers on it that your ISP uses. If you don't have one, you can connect to the internet, but you can't go anywhere. Call your ISP and get the DNS server numbers put them in a new text file save it as /etc/resolv.conf. You might look in /etc/ppp directory and see if there is a resolv.conf file , if there is move it too /etc directory.

Thanks for the help but I'm still not quite there. I found resolv.conf and did what you said. I've double-checked dns numbers and other settings in kppp, but still no joy. One thing - kppp asks for domain name. Is this my ISP - claranet or clara.net - or is it my username, nellieellen? If it is blank in resolv.conf does it make a difference? I've tried different combinations but so far no joy.

Also, with Windows I UNCHECK the 'log on to network'. When dialling in, I get 'authorising password', then it connects.
With kppp, instead of 'authorising password', I get 'logging on to network', then it connects (or does it?). The log window closes so I don't know for sure.

One more thing. I have been unable to shut down pppstatus. Even on rebooting it is still open. Is there a way to kill it?

Thanks

Further to my last message, I found 'top' and used it to kill pppstatus. Otherwise, I'm still in the same boat.

/etc/resolv.conf has to have atleast one dns server listed, mine has two, here is whats in mine


________________________________________________________

207.162.160.11
207.162.162.11

Thanks, Starcrzr, but mine has similar, but still doesn't work. So it's not a resolv.conf problem.

See if you have wvdial installed open a xterm and su to root and type " wvdialconf /etc/wvdial.conf " it will probe for your modem and make a file called /etc/wvdial.conf . Then open /etc/wvdial.conf in your favorite text editor and add your isp phone number, user login and password. Then make sure you uncomment those three lines and save file. Then type wvdial and after it logs on it will show starting pppd. Then see if you can surf then. To shut down wvdial just hit Ctrl-d in the same term.

I'll see if I can give you some useful answers this time.

I've used 'pppconfig' instead of kppp the only difference being that you need to open an xterm change to root and use 'pon' to dial and 'poff' to cut the connection, the other useful command in this is 'plog' which I'll come to later

Here's an abriviated listing from the Debian Installation manual

If you run pppconfig it'll ask you a series of questions one important one is to keep the name of your dialup as 'Provider' (if you don't you'll have to type pon <name you've given> , pon defaults to Provider if no other given.

Then you need to edit /etc/ppp/peers/provider and change the line dev/modem to dev.ttyS# where # is your serial port with the modem. Thats all in the books.

The bit that got me was the editing of etc/chatscripts, the book says edit out the lines below the one starting with ATDT then add
user <name>
, where <name> is the login for your ISP. This is where I found 'plog' helpful, after typing 'pon' I then kept typing 'plog' and watched what was happening. It turned out that my ISP was asking for 'User' not 'user'
note the uppercase U - I changed chatscripts and everthing was sort of hunky dory. Until...

I won't go into a lot of detail, but check on 'top' to see if you have 'diald' running, then try connecting and see if it comes to the front(top) I found this was beating 'pon' to the connection and although it would still dial, there'd be no log and it would drop out after 2 mins. 'Kill'ing that sorted out my final problem.

Hope this has helped

Hi Folks, thanks for all the help. At least I'm learning something about Linux! I've tried all your suggestions, and thanks! even if they haven't solved the particular problem yet.

I've done the wvdial thing and also the pon, poff etc. Same results as kppp. So I think we can be sure it is not my dialup entries that are the problem. Password is being authenticated, pppd is opening, and then nothing. Can't browse anywhere because there's no such address can be found. I can't even ping the dns servers and am positive I have the right numbers for these. Is 195.8.69.12 OK? It surely doesn't have to be 195.008.069.012 does it?

It's not a TCP problem is it? In windows I have to make sure TCP is the only protocol ticked. Grasping at straws...

In Windows my internet connection is a bit 'sticky' sometimes, like there's a conflict with the mouse sharing the IRQ but it only happens occasionally. Would an IRQ conflict be a problem in Debian? If so, where do I go to alter this and try it?

One other thing you might try -in my /etc/ppp/peers/provider file I've got the following 2 last lines

# Use dynamic DNS from Provider
usepeerdns

Pretty self explanatory, it sets your dns servers dynamically everytime you log in, you can check out what your ISP sends you using 'plog' (after 'pon' i type 'plog' <enter> then keep hitting the <uparrow> and <enter> cos plog only gives you the last 10 lines)

BTW I can ping 195.8.69.12 from here so it does exist !