Modem problems

[trini_dad]

I KNOW YOU GUYS PROBABLY GET QUESTIONS LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME BUT:

i have a shity Agere PCI modem and i wnt to know if there is any drivers available for it. I tried Linmodems and the Agere website i have been searching for about 2hrs.

If i may have to buy a new modem what is the brand that is most supported by linux?

 

[horndude]

serial modems either ISA or external, preferably external--->they always work, they have to Cost about $45 plus a serial cable these days if you can find one, serial modem that is, not very common these days.

linux prefers "smart" hardware, as in hardware that has its controls and firmware on board rather than "dumb" hardware which needs lots of software to make it work

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=876414&CatId=0

one like that should work

 

[macdude425]

I agree. I've tried configuring internal modems, and it was a pain in the !@*

(Modems with Conextant chipsets are the worst; there are no opensource drivers available; so you have to pay for a fully functioning driver...)

 

[horndude]

some internal modems do work, just not very many, redhat among others has a decent hardware compatibility list or HCL, if it works and its listed there it should work with any linux setup

modems can be a pain in linux anyway, until you realize exactly what your doing, which is using 20 year old technology, as in something similiar to a dial up terminal or teletype terminal

First the modem is initialized with a standard string sent to it, then a number is sent to it to dial, then when the modem completes the call and is connected it send a signal back, at that point linux binds it to the system with pppd which is the point to point protocol daemon. All the signals and strings are standard and havent changed for years, most dialers show this as output in a log file, sometimes while you dial up. If I remember right the start up string is usually ATDT&.

 

[chickenNcheese]

daahhhh. ******mit.

i have tried to run internet on 2 linux machines in my entire life and both times the modems were not compatible. firstly the winmodem in my desktop and now a conexant modem in my laptop. THIS IS JUST STUPID. ill prob end up downloading the free conexant one just to make it work albeit slow. i solved the desktop by getting an external serial one (worked beautifully) but the laptop has no serial port.

paying for drivers is just plain stupid. i mean oooohhh they are free as long as you use windows.

 

[chickenNcheese]

oh and in case it works by some miracle can some1 tell me where to point linux towards my modem which is in PCI BUS 0. i mean in that list that has ttys/ttyl etc.

 

[horndude]

no, what is stupid is windows has been allowed to influence hardware makers and remove all reasonable standards for basic hardware functions........hence winmodems

ttys0 probably

 

[chickenNcheese]

i thought ttys0 was COM1. anyway i have given up on linux for the laptop cos so much of the hardware it doesnt recognise and there are no drivers for.