network doesn't detect dialup connection
 

I use a USR5610c internal modem. This is fully supported by kernal 2.23 and above, according to USR, and installation should be "automatic".

For a new comer to linux it was not that easy, but with the help of some very nice folks I do know how to do it.

Setup was through pppconfig and I had to edit the pap and chap files to get the password to be accepted by my ISP.

System monitor (Ubuntu 8.04.1) has no trouble letting me know what is up.

When you click on the network icon you get the option of connect or dis connect to or from ppp0 via modem. This works. It also is connected automatically before I can get logged in.

If you cursor over the network monitor icon you get the message "no network connection". This is an irritation. It may also be connected to the fact that my time setting can not be updated from the net.

I have ln/dev/fttyS0 so there is a hard link to there, but the modem is not listed in that file.

I have had the notion to edit the file but I don't really know how the modem should be listed and as things work, don't want to break anything.

This is a Dell XPS 420. Intel quad core 6600, 240GHz, 3 Gb ram (barely enough for Vista), 320Gb WD HDD.

I installed the modem and it imporved things a bunch on Vista, winmodems really are not good.

Went with the internal as there were no serial ports on this box as we bought it. There are 2 now and a parallel port thanks to a PCI card.

There are 2 HDD slots and I just installed the WD in the empty one and unplugged the original and plugged the WD in so there is no issue with MS at all on this machine. I will keep the other HDD in there for emergency use, don't have any need for MS otherwise.

If anyone has any ideas I'll be very happy.
Thanks

In my experience, because you have manually changed the config files for ppp and chap, ubuntu nm-manager applet in the top right of the desktop will not function correctly. I have had this issue with manually installing wireless drivers on various laptops. One option is to delete the nm-applet from your panel, however this brings the added headache of having to manually check your network using the command line.

It's a bit of a kludge, but if your ppp connection is up before you login, and you are confident of the connection, you can remove it. You can always add it back again by right clicking on the panel and selecting 'Add To Panel'.

Hope that's what your talking about! If you need more help, post here, and I'll be checking back again later.

irishbitte - the applet being there is not the problem.

There does not seem to be any recognition of the connection. There is another applet available - Modem Monitor - same deal. Can't detect connection speed.

The only thing I had to do was change one letter in each file. They each have 2 entries with the password. One entry in each had a changed first letter. I do not know if that is the standard usage in authentication or if my ISP just does this way. I do know that it works this way and not the way it was set automatically. The edit was recommended by wvdial.

For some reason I did not have to edit those 2 files the first go round and I had the same thing.

I would like to know what is up. That is really the whole problem. The main system knows we are connected. Otherwise I would have trouble doing this and system monitor has no problem with second to second detection of speed.

I really think that this has to do with the fact that I can't use NTP to set my clock. I really would like to do that.

Thank you for your time on this rather silly matter.

Hmmm. I'm really not sure. Perhaps when it says 'No Network Connection', it means no Ethernet/Wireless connection?

You know, I have wondered about that myself. The only problem is that the Modem Monitor applet doesn't seem to have any clue either.

I did get the synchronization of the time going, though so I don't think I'll worry about it anymore. I still think that the 2 problems were connected.

When I tried to set the sync clock setup I got the notice that NTP was not installed. Fair enough. Try to install and it just quit on me. Every thing just left the screen. Got an attitude last night and just kept going back to the time set. About 6 times. Click, unlock, password, sync, notice, disappear. The last time it down loaded and installed and now when you click, instead of setting the time manually, you see that it is synchronized and if you unlock your only options are what sources you want to get the time from.

It is too bad that you do not have the option of hitting a sync now button but I think I can live with that. I just like to see how much time is adjusted per day. I used Dimension4 on my old W98 machine and did not have it set to auto. Just updated daily. I liked that. Vista is set up auto out of the box and you know how much control you have over that.

If you unplug the MS HDD and use this one and have to go back the time is screwwed, of coarse, and you do have the option, if you hunt around, of a sync now button.

If I ever need to go back to that HDD, I'll have to see what happens in Ubuntu as to the time.

Thanks again.

Well, I guess to point out that the 'applet' in the tray for both XP and Vista is different for a dial up connection versus a ethernet / wireless connection. This gave me an idea that there may be another applet for dialup. Anyway, here's something that may brighten your day!

Right click on the panel, and select 'Add to Panel'. type 'modem' in the text box, and one applet, called Modem Monitor comes up. Now, to be clear, I have not used this, have not configured it, or anything like that. But have a go, it may be what you're looking for....

Edit: Just read your last post, apologies, please disregard this.

That is fine with me. Gives me the idea I may not be completely crazy to wonder about this.

I think, though that it is time to put this on hold for another day. There are things I need to learn to really get hold of this OS and this stuff does work.

Heck maybe I'll learn enough to figure it out before I end up with a faster connection of a type a modern OS is more likely to recognize anyway.

I was reading your other post about a live CD of your own system, but I really reckon you should consider Virtual Box as a way of testing out various distros and learning, especially because you have a decent machine!