Yo, im very n00b into linux and am currently running Mandrake 9

Im trying to rid myself of microsoft and currently dont feel like running out and buying a modem till i explore ALL possibilities.

I have 2 modems, once which i cant even get to do anything and its farily small so i assume its a winmodem so i wont worry about that as of now.

I do use a dinosaur Hayes Optima 144 V.32bis + FAX144

I have found in several places that this should be compatible but yet heres my problem.

After playing around witht hings i found its on COM1 and when i hit connect it seizes the line and i hear the dial tone but it wont dial

I have nothing in the initialation string boxes for if i put ATZ in to reset the modem it will not dial, i get the message Setting Speaker Volume, then it gets stuck on initializing modem.

So anyway leaving it without and initialaztion string it will pick up the line but ownt dial for some reason? Anyone have a clue to why?

Also i have only found 1 initialation string for my modem and that didnt work, if that might be the problem. Any help would be appreciative, if someone knows this modem wont work then ill buy a new one, and please give me a short list of modems that might work thats at the local COMPUSA or BestBuy

Why not buy an external serial modem? I had this dilemma for a while, to get one of the internal "supported" or an external one.

I ended up buying an external - serial - (possibly paying a bit more) modem, which I configured within 5 minutes. It's a Planet ME-560T V.90/56K modem, but I'm pretty sure any external serial modem -should- work with minimal to no hassle.

And don't tell me you don't have an available serial port...

Yiangos

I suppose some modem guru (I'm not one) could give you more sophisticated help, but if the problem should be just with modem initialization, you could use this as first try:
I do not know the way you use to connect (kppp or whatever), but during my attempts to get connected with Debian I found command-line dialer program 'wvdial' (also called 'heuristic autodialer) accompanied by a 'wvdialconf' tool. The later tool tries to detect the modem, then communicates with the modem and sets initialization sequence according to modem capabilities and then writes ppp config files and config file for the wvdial dialer.
So try to use this tool, I suppose it should be available in Mandrake. Of course make a backup of your current ppp config (in /etc/ppp) and read wvdial docs first.
http://freshmeat.net/projects/wvdial/
http://support.real-time.com/linux/dialup/wvdial.html

Thanks guys i appreciate the help, i tried Wvdialer and it says no modem detected lol.

I got paid last night so i decided to just go buy one today. I appreciate all the help though, thanks