I lied.....

[[email protected]]

I lied, though not intentionally. In the post entitled "What file
contains my Dialup Info?", I replied by saying I tried to connect using
PcLinux (besides Win XP). It's NOT PcLinux that I used, it's Puppy
Linux. I just found this out after trying again. I have both PC Linux
and Puppy Linux on flash drives to boot from. Both are fairly decent,
and you're hearing that from a person who pretty much hated linux over
the years.

Anyhow, even though I like the layout of PC-Linux, they really have a
stupid thing when it comes to using a modem. When I go in there, it asks
me what port my modem is on. I answered COM1. Then it says I must
install some file to access the modem, and asks me if I want to. I said
YES, and it fails because it cant access the internet to get the file.

Wow, whoever wrote that code must have been intoxicated.....
How the f__k am I supposed to download the file when I'm setting up a
modem? ABSOLUTELY ABSURD!
Why didn't they just include that file with the package?

Anyhow, Puppy Linux dont do anything that stupid, it registers the modem
without my assistance. It even dials and I can hear the tones. It just
dont connect!

Anyhow, I wanted to clear this up, since I was confused (and probably
will remain that way for the rest of my alzheimers episodes).

[Paul]

wrote:
> I lied, though not intentionally. In the post entitled "What file
> contains my Dialup Info?", I replied by saying I tried to connect using
> PcLinux (besides Win XP). It's NOT PcLinux that I used, it's Puppy
> Linux. I just found this out after trying again. I have both PC Linux
> and Puppy Linux on flash drives to boot from. Both are fairly decent,
> and you're hearing that from a person who pretty much hated linux over
> the years.
>
> Anyhow, even though I like the layout of PC-Linux, they really have a
> stupid thing when it comes to using a modem. When I go in there, it asks
> me what port my modem is on. I answered COM1. Then it says I must
> install some file to access the modem, and asks me if I want to. I said
> YES, and it fails because it cant access the internet to get the file.
>
> Wow, whoever wrote that code must have been intoxicated.....
> How the f__k am I supposed to download the file when I'm setting up a
> modem? ABSOLUTELY ABSURD!
> Why didn't they just include that file with the package?
>
> Anyhow, Puppy Linux dont do anything that stupid, it registers the modem
> without my assistance. It even dials and I can hear the tones. It just
> dont connect!
>
> Anyhow, I wanted to clear this up, since I was confused (and probably
> will remain that way for the rest of my alzheimers episodes).

Sites like this will identify the issues.

http://modemsite.com/56k/trouble.asp

1) Modem type (K56,X2) versus front end (Livingston or some other)
2) Modem driver (provides INIT strings and hints about commands)
Some enumerated choices at a higher level in DUNS, map to modem
INIT strings in the driver.
3) Custom INIT string tweaks to make things work.
(Download your Hayes AT command set and look for some of the
custom commands.) I have needed extensive customization
on occasion (~20 characters added to dialing string).
4) Knowledge of standards, standards of compression or error correction.
5) Once the physical layer works, your dialup session uses PPP
(point to point protocol). Which has header compression options
and the two ends of the link negotiate what settings to use.

If you use HyperTerm and dial out and make a basic connection
with the dialup pool at your ISP, the "welcome" string may indicate
the front end type.

These are all things that require "visibility" to debug. Including
functions like PortMon to see the INIT string, or PPP logging (available
on Linux at least), to review whether everything there is OK.

I used to do this stuff on my Macintosh, and translate
Windows articles on modem problems, in "Mac-land".

Paul