Mepis Lacks Modem support for KPPP

so what is the problem?
The problem is called winmodem, in which essential features of the modem are emulated in software.

I refer you to
http://www.mepis.org/node/5849
which I will one day move from 'networking' to here

Thank you for the reply and I'm going to try some suggestion's on
the link http://www.mepis.org/node/5849.
The subjectline might not be quite right however other Linux distros do let me connect with The USR 5610 which is a Hardware Modem. I bought 2 of them a couple of years or so back for about US. 70.00 dollars each. I am sure there is going to be a solution, I just haven't found it yet. Rex

I googled for USR 5610 and the first 7 hits were comments "It doesn't work". The next two were in Spanish, so I can't comment on them. the tenth led me to the manufacturers site, which tells me that this modem supports Linux as well as windows, but further searching tells me that it doesn't work well with the 2.6 kernel series, and needs a little tweaking to work with the 2.4 series. It needs linking to /dev/ttyS3 not /dev/ttyS4 which seems to be the default.

Folks, most internal modems out there are Winmodesm meaning that they require MS Windows to operate. There have been some drivers written for these (linmodems.org) but most often this is a waste of time. Those still needing dial-up should simply go to a used computer store or ebay and for a few dollars buy a standalone (external) USR Robotics SERIAL modem and cable and hook it to the serial port of your computer and that's that. I think you can get one used for about $15 these days. Same for a serial card if you need one.

Dial-up is a dying duck. No one is putting much energy into it. Broadband is the future so if you are on dial-up (you live in the boondocks) your best bet is an external modem... no drivers needed, works with ALL operating system (Win,Mac,Linux) and are solid and reliable. The small USR Sportster is small/lite enough to travel with as well.

Al

The Agere AC97 Winmodem in my Thinkpad T40 works great in SimplyMepis 3.3.2-Test03 where it wouldn't work in Xandros. The only other distro that it works correctly is SuSE 9.2/9.3.

I have been following these modem discussions for a long time and have the following thoughts to offer. I have a USR 5610B [a true hardware modem] and have used it with no problems with Lycoris, Knoppix and Mepis for over 3 years. Mepis is now my only Linux [for 2 years] and the 5610B is flawless.

I offer these suggestions from simple to a little more complex. Not trying to insult anyone.

1. Make sure the modem is seated well in your computer.

2. Make sure you have the phone wire in the correct outlet on back of modem. May need trial & error.

3. Hate to say this, but use windows to find out exactly on which Com Port your modem is. There are alternates, but this is best, and once you know it, that's it.

4. Assuming you have kppp [wvdial also works well] set up, then if you get the dreaded 'can't find modem' etc., then try setting the Port eg com 5 [ttyS4] to /dev/modem. Or try setting com 4 to /dev/modem as drlizau suggests. Try various possible combinations.

5. If still no connection, try the following from cmnd line as SU:

mknod /devttyS4 c 4 68
ln -s /dev/ttyS4 /dev/modem [links Com5 to /dev/modem]

May have to repeat with ttyS3 etc.

You should see ttyS4 set up in /root [from mknod]

6. Look at your system with lspci -v & lsmod from cmnd line to check on it.

7. Watch out for things like Guarddog which if not set correctly can block access to web surfing through your ISP.

8. Try a live setup with Knoppix and see if you can connect. That will confirm that all is okay. In Knoppix, select the option for having the setting be linked to /dev/modem. Knoppix has a neat selection screen for Com port selection, by the way.

9. I suspect, but haven't confirmed, that the USR modem works best [or maybe only] with the 2.4 kernel. I use Mepis 3.3.1, by the way.

Hope this helps. By the way, not every external modem works with Linux. I have a Zoom USB mini modem Model 3090 which will not work with any Linux I've tried. I also have a Hawking PCI winmodem HM92P which comes with Linux drivers and works well with Lycoris and Mepis.

To us newbies, the obvious sometimes isn't obvious!

The USR 5610 B modem is exactly what I have so if it works for some and not others it must have something to do with the motherboard one is using. I am on an intel board now with Xandros while writing this and a cheap winmodem that I would have to pull out of the case to remember what i was but Mepis tries to dial it out except that after trying and expecting connect it doesn't and lock after a while saying "Modem Busy". However we will whip this problem as Mepis is such a remarkable disribution and worth putting in the effort to find the right combo.I have ordered two Modems listed on these pages as working so will post my results if I get one working. I guess I fdo live in the "Boon Docks" as someone says and Starband Sattelite wont work with Linux.I am dropping Starband nxt April so I want to completely move to Linux by then. Rex

it is possible that the modem you have has worked with other OS but not with Mepis, but don't blame Mepis for this, winmodems are mostly crap, technical information is not published by companies making or selling them making extremely hard to write a driver. I use Mepis and while I used a modem, it was an external one, zero problems, now I'm networked via cable modem, the modem is still there just in case of a cable failure.
Everyone of us has to do some concessions in order to make other things happen in a Microsoft dominated world. Get a cheap external modem and go to the next step, enjoy Mepis!

I have 2 external modems that work great in all Linux Distros I've ever tried... but I have more than two computers and you do get tired of switching cables around. By accident I discovered that SmartLink software modems work very well indeed in most versions of Linux, including MEPIS 3.3.1 -- installed on a harddrive or "live".

SmartLink also produces their own Linux driver (website), so I guess in effect it can be safely called a "LinModem". In MEPIS my cheapo SmartLink modem is "just there" (dev/modem)... no configuration at all. I have tried both the PCI version and one on a "Riser Card" on an ECS motherboard. I use SmartLink modems (slmodem) in other Distros as well. They don't work "automatic" in all!

Simple solution: If you can't find a used external serial modem, just buy a PCI SmartLink (chipset) software modem and you're good to go -- no installing drivers -- it just works in MEPIS for very little money

Other older modems with jumpers should work also, however hardware modems are simpler and external serial modems should work everytime.

But to say that modems are for dialup, well, yes people want to use dialup, but what about faxing or messege services on your computer.

There are many usages for dialup / fax modems and people just want to play with their computer.

I don't use em myself,as I have cable and also use a sort of e-fax service for faxing, but it's a montly fee and people want use their fax every now and then isn't that is what a computer is for?

I myself have the e-fax service as I could not figure out how to get the fax working in Mepis. I would like to use though.

Anyhow thats my 2 cents.

I have tried the first serial Modem to arrive mentioned by some one in this discussion calles the smart one and I am using it now on Zandros. However it's a no go on Mepis. One of my computers using Zandros puts it on Com 7 and the other on Com 8. My USR5610 B used to work fine on other Linux Distros such as Mandrake 9.0 but not later versions. Same with the Latest Knoppix. Would have to be manually configured. Rex.
Update: I should have done this a long time ago. The Modem "Best Data" from Gearssx someone on this site suggested is working fine on Mepis and every other Linux Distro I tried it on including "Puppy". It's a cheap Serial modem that needs to be considered Com 1 unless You are on Xandros and it decides. $20.75 Us dollars Shipped is Cheap! Rex

I have a Dynalink 1456VQH-T4 internal modem that uses the Agere / Lucent Mars 3.2 Chipset which works straight away with Mepis 3.4-3 but doesn't connect and drops out with Mepis 6.0 Final. As for Xandros it doesn't work with this Modem.
I hope this helps someone.

The USRobotics modem model numbers:
USR5610B (PCI Interface)
005687-03 (ISA Interface)
are controller-based modems (NOT WIN-MODEMS), and will (in the majority of cases) work correctly with Linux.

The USRobotics modem model numbers:
USR5699B (PCI Interface)
USR5670 (PCI Interface)
lack hardware DSP controllers; and are therefore, most-properly identified as win-modems. They may or may not be tougher to get working on Linux, but you will always suffer a signal processing overhead as a result of using these modems. Read that as your machine will run slower when the modem is in use, no matter what OS you use.

Home of the Point-N-Click Help Files
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

I have a thinkpad a20m with a lucent internal winmodem working from the live CD Mepis 6.0. It also worked on the earlier Mepis 3.4.3 For reference,
lspci reports the following:
Communication controller: Agere Systems WinModem 56k (rev 01)

See post
http://www.mepis.org/node/11783#comment-44191
for more details.