MODEMS
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MODEMS

ADSL

Note

Please refer to https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ADSLPPPoE for further information if you run into issues with the following procedures.

PPPoE ADSL Modem Installation

  1. Open Konsole by going to Application LauncherSystemTerminal (Konsole).

  2. At the command prompt type sudo pppoeconf and press Enter.

  3. A text-based menu program will guide you through the next steps, which are:

    1. Confirm that your Ethernet card is detected.

    2. Enter your username provided by your ISP.

    3. Enter your password provided by your ISP.

    4. If you already have a PPPoE connection configured, you will be asked if it may be modified.

    5. When asked if you want the noauth and the defaultroute options and want to remove the nodetach option, choose Yes.

    6. When asked if you want to use peer DNS, choose Yes.

    7. When asked if you want the Limited MSS, choose Yes.

    8. When asked if you want to connect at start up, select Yes to enable a start up connection, or No to manually connect.

    9. When asked if you want to connect immediately, select the appropriate response.

  4. To start your ADSL connection on demand type pon dsl-provider and press Enter.

  5. To stop your ADSL connection type poff dsl-provider and press Enter.

USB ADSL Modem Installation

Due to similar issues of that with a Winmodem, installation and configuration of a USBADSL modem may require lengthy procedures depending on the type of modem. For further installation information, pleas refer to https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UsbAdslModem. You will of course need another means of connection in order to review this documentation.

Dial-Up

Many people still access the Internet via a dial-up modem today. There are two basic types of dial-up modems in use.

Software Modems

Software modems, also known as Winmodems, are the type that are usually built into the system itself whether it is a desktop or a laptop. These modems are usually connected to a PCI port inside of the computer or a USB port outside of the computer. There are still quite a few of these types of modems that are not supported by Linux due to the type of binary driver or firmware they use. Winmodems supported in Linux are also known as Linmodems.

Hardware Modems

Hardware modems, or true modems, are usually connected to the serial port outside of the computer and process the raw modem commands unlike a Winmodem. These types of modems have become rare of late however they still stand as the most supported type of modem for Linux as they typically do not need a special driver.

The following sections will provide information on installation and configuration of your modem. The last section will provide configuration information on configuring a dial-up connection (see the section called “Dial-up Internet configuration”).

Winmodem Installation

Unfortunately due to the many different types of chipsets and the work involved in getting a Winmodem installed and functioning would be difficult to document in this one location. However, there are already documents out there to help you in your success at getting your Winmodem to work with Kubuntu. Not every Winmodem is guaranteed to work, but there are utilities out there to aide you in getting a supported Winmodem to work. The following links will hopefully provide the information needed to get your Winmodem working.

Hardware Modem Installation

Unlike software modems, or Winmodems, hardware modems do not need special software drivers. If your modem connects to your PC via the serial port, then you are in fact using a hardware modem. In order to configure your modem, you need to know which COM port, or serial port, you are using. The typical structure for COM devices is /dev/ttySx, where x is one less than the COM port number. For instance, if you plug your modem into COM port 1, then you would use the /dev/ttyS0 device. Port 2 would be /dev/ttyS1 and so on.

Dial-up Internet configuration

There are a few ways in order for you to get your dial-up connection working with the Internet.

Using KPPP

KPPP - The dialer and front end for pppd which allows for interactive script generation and network setup. This is the preferred application in Kubuntu for dial-up modems. For more information on setting up KPPP, please refer to The KPPP Handbook.

Using WvDial

WvDial - The command line Linux application for dial-up modems. This utility has been around almost since the invention of Linux itself. The following is a quick step-by-step procedure for using WvDial. Note that WvDial use is command line intensive.

  1. Open Konsole by going to Application LauncherSystemTerminal (Konsole).

  2. At the command prompt, type sudo wvdialconf /etc/wvdial.conf and then press Enter.

    ERROR

    If you see the following error, then your modem is not supported, in use, or not properly configured.

    Editing `/etc/wvdial.conf'.
    
    Scanning your serial ports for a modem.
    
    Modem Port Scan<*1>: S0   S1   S2   S3
    
    
    Sorry, no modem was detected!  Is it in use by another program?
    Did you configure it properly with setserial?
    
    Please read the FAQ at http://open.nit.ca/wiki/?WvDial
    
    If you still have problems, send mail to <wvdial-list@lists.nit.ca>.
    
  3. If you did not receive the previous error message then you can move on and finish the setup by manually editing the /etc/wvdial.conf configuration file. To do so press Alt+F2, type kdesu kwrite /etc/wvdial.conf and press the OK button.

  4. After opening the wvdial.conf, insert your ISP information where needed. Other options may be needed in order to get your Winmodem to work correctly. This information is either available on the Linmodems website, or if you sent an email to their mailing-list, the information they provided to aide you in your setup. You can also type man wvdial.conf at the command prompt for further information.

  5. Save and close out of the /etc/wvdial.conf configuration file.

  6. At the command line, try to dial out by typing sudo wvdial and pressing Enter.

Using pppconfig with pon & poff

pppconfig is another command line option used to manage dial-up connections. This setup is not the easiest to configure, however it is a very flexible application. The pon and poff dial and hang-up when using the pppconfig utility.

If you are interested in using this utility, please refer to the wiki topic for pppconfig.

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