LM13 and DialUp Modem 'no data traffic' [SOLVED]

[gene]

Hi, I'm trying to connect LM13 to internet using External Serial Modem.
I've got the the point where Gnome-PPP dials the modem, seems to connect to my ISP, but there is no data traffic at that point. If someone has been down this path, can you tell me if there is something else to check/install/modify at this point.

Or, if there a fool-proof "how-to" somewhere floating around on the internet that I haven't yet come across, that would also help. (This machine is not connected to internet when LM13 is running. If required, I will be able to post screenshots/terminal output over several days, as I need to walk files to another machine which is connected.)

I have connected the exact same hardware to the internet using latest Linux Puppy, and it connects with no probs.
This confirms that computer, external modem and cabling are in order.
However, no joy with LM13.

thks

[gene]

Due to the overwhelming response, I thought I might post again, if for no other reason than to have a private conversation with myself about dialup and LM.

I know what you mean G, I've found ppl tell me to; try This, and, try This, but no-one tells me 'oh This is your problem', you need to do This. Almost like, everyone's on broadband and, because dialup is slow, it MUST be easy. Meanwhile the days are clicking by and I'm still not connected.

Ah yeah, it is like that isn't it. I feel like, if I ever get my modem connected, by that time, I'll be most of the way towards a Linux administrator, and all I just wanna be is an enduser. I reckon if I ever get this LinuxBox connected, I'll definitely write an instruction.pdf and make it available. Maybe if I get it connected I'll save the OS to a new .iso, complete with operating DialUp. Would that work? Mmmm, so many possibilities.

And then I was thinking, why leave the .deb files tucked away in some share/binary folder somewhere and not install them from the get-go. Maybe because there was no reliable way that the apps would result in reliable dialup connexn. Maybe let the enduser muddle through the process and if it works, then good-on-'em. No responsibility or complaints go to LM. There's always a reason.

So, I've reinstalled LM13 three times this week, honed the process of installing and configuring the Dialup apps down to a few hours instead of a few nights, and get the same result 3 times.
And here it is :

========================================================
RESULT OF ...LOG -FILE AFTER CONNECTING VIA GNOME-PPP GUI
========================================================

--> WvDial: Internet dialer version 1.61
--> Cannot set information for serial port.
--> Initializing modem.
--> Sending: ATZ
ATZ
OK
--> Sending: ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0
ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0
OK
--> Modem initialized.
--> Please enter password (or empty password to stop):
--> Sending: ATM1L3DT0198331292
--> Waiting for carrier.
ATM1L3DT0198331292
CONNECT 115200
User Access Verification
Username: username: login:
--> Carrier detected. Starting PPP immediately.
--> Starting pppd at Wed Oct 24 00:46:54 2012
--> Pid of pppd: 1702
--> Using interface ppp0
--> local IP address 203.129.147.125
--> remote IP address 203.123.69.137
--> primary DNS address 202.76.170.228
--> secondary DNS address 203.24.100.7


That's it.
The Gnome-PPP clock starts counting the connexn time, but no traffic.
No up, no down, no Firefox, no chat, no email, nothin.

Surely there must be someone out there who's done this before?
Anyone?

[xenopeek]

I have no experience with Gnome PPP. Having a short search on the forum, I found this post. Another user having a discussion with himself, I'm sorry to say. Perhaps some of the tips, especially from the second post, will be helpful to you: viewtopic.php?f=157&t=107488

Linux Mint 13 is using dnsmasq, and especially the bit about disabling that may be worth a shot.

[gene]

I know you'll all be pleased to know that I finally got a dialup connexn working via external serial modem.
Thanks Vincent for the links to elsewhere in this forum and to the little snippets of info amongst all of the trials and tribulations that ppl have been having.

The final step was to *create* a file called resolve.conf in the /etc directory, and type in my ISP primary and secondary DNS as ...
nameserver 203.x.x.x
nameserver 201.x.x.x

...then save.

These data, (written exactly like this) were found in another file in another directory, but just not in the /etc folder, and not in a file called resolve.conf. It needs to be in resolve.conf, and the resolve.conf file needs to be in the /etc folder.

Cant create a file in /etc folder until you change permissions for that folder.
Cant move a file into /etc folder until you change permissions for that folder.

So many steps!

I'll go through the process a few more times from fresh install, and get all the steps and screenshots.
In frightening detail.
When I can follow all my steps in my instruction set, and get to the same outcome yet again, (connexn on dialup), I'll post the info.

If anyone wants info in the meantime, just ask. I've got notes.
Its all written down, but want to put example screenshots and terminal output to the steps.

cheers, G
Australia

[gene]

For anyone who is interested, I have now assembled a .pdf of instructions with photos and screenshots, for setting up dialup on LM13, using external serial modem.
This forum only allows 776 Kb files to be uploaded, so I have split the .pdf into 2 parts.

cheers G

LM13_Dialup_Instructions_1-4.pdf

(614.02 KiB) Downloaded 69 times

LM13_Dialup_Instructions_5-16.pdf

(710.16 KiB) Downloaded 72 times

[gene]

Hi,

If you have a newer model computer without a RS232 or COM1 port, you can still use an old-school dialup modem on one of the USB ports on your computer, by using a USB to RS232 Converter Cable.

I bought a USB to RS232 converter cable on eBay, for $1.68 AU including postage, just to see if it would work.
I would lose AU$1.68 if it didnt work. Worth a shot.

Search for :
USB 2.0 to RS232 SERIAL Cable 9PIN 9 PIN DB9 Adapter Cord PDA GPS XP VISTA

This connector had Vendor ID:Product ID = 067b:2303
It is a Prolific Technology Inc. product.

LM13 has the driver already for this converter cable.
After plugging in the cable to your USB port,
do [in Terminal] dmesg, then amongst the pages of result, somewhere near the bottom you see :


USB 2.0 to COM Device
Prolific Technology Inc.
pl2303 converter detected
registered new interface driver


Just connect the RS232 end from the converter cable, to the RS232 cable coming from the dialup modem.
(I assume that you have setup the dialup software from my instructions above.)
In Gnome PPP, when you 'Detect Modem', the dialup modem is found at ttyUSB0, and it works.

I may amend my instructions later to include this method of connexn.

G

converter cable.jpg (3.79 KiB) Viewed 635 times

[phelest]

see also here:
viewtopic.php?f=90&t=122767&p=688434#p688434

[gene]

Hi,
What are you trying to show in this link?

In my instructions, Note 4 and Step 8, I describe and solve the issue with resolv.conf being located at /etc/ppp/resolv.conf, whereas it should be at /etc/resolv.conf. Apparently this was noted much earlier as a mysterious change (error?) by the developers when they wrote this part of LM, and which did not transfer properly to dialup. Hopefully in future versions of LM the developers will get this issue sorted.

G

[phelest]

Hi Gene,
when I did set up dial-up stuff last time I have used Ubuntu 7.10 I think. Ubuntu had a how to do page for that if I remember right, but I remember I also had this kind of problem. Just 3 things about what I have learned so far - or how I see the relationship:
1.
Any user is not allowed to dialout until (s)he is member of the "dialout" group - so what to do is :

Code: Select all

sudo adduser $USER dialout

2.
/etc/ppp/resolv.conf is always discovered during PPP start-up:
In case "usepeerdns" is set active in pppd, a new /etc/ppp/resolv.conf file is build - see man page of pppd:

Code: Select all

man pppd | perl -ane'if(/usepeerdns/){$p=6}; printf "%2d $_",$p-- if $p;'

6 usepeerdns
5 Ask the peer for up to 2 DNS server addresses. The addresses supplied by the peer (if any) are passed to the /etc/ppp/ip-up
4 script in the environment variables DNS1 and DNS2, and the environment variable USEPEERDNS will be set to 1. In addition,
3 pppd will create an /etc/ppp/resolv.conf file containing one or two nameserver lines with the address(es) supplied by the
2 peer.
1

This can be compared with the retrieved data:

Code: Select all

grep 'ppp' /var/log/syslog | cat -n

3.
/etc/ppp/resolv.conf seems to be for RETRIEVED DNS related to the ppp interface ONLY - while /etc/resolv.conf is USED by ALL interfaces.
So what is very unclear to me is, whether there are main differences regarding DNS between Ubuntu and LinuxMint, and
how the info in these 2 files should be automatically updated in case you have different dial-up ISPs.

Regards, P.

[phelest]

... and what I noted down for my very first tests with Fedora 7 was:

Code: Select all

su (-)?
cd /etc/ppp/
cp resolv.conf ..


[gene]

For anyone who is interested, I have now re-posted the .pdf of instructions with photos and screenshots,
for setting up dialup on LM13. This version (.V2) includes using ....

-- External Serial Modem 56k with RS232 cable and COM1 port, and
-- External Serial Modem 56k with USB-to-RS232 converter cable (for those who don't have a COM1 port).

I have added a few screenshots, cleaned a bit of the text, and added relevant info
for when connecting with a USB-to-RS232 converter cable.
The converter cable is a Prolific Technology Inc. PL2303 as described a few posts above.
LM13 DVD edition has the driver pre-installed for this cable.
The cable is 'auto-located' by LM13, when plugged in to any USB port.

This forum only allows 776 Kb files to be uploaded, so I have split the .pdf into 3 parts.

cheers G

LM13_Dialup_Instructions_V2_1-2.pdf

(566.83 KiB) Downloaded 24 times

LM13_Dialup_Instructions_V2_3-10.pdf

(741.41 KiB) Downloaded 24 times

LM13_Dialup_Instructions_V2_11-19.pdf

(513.82 KiB) Downloaded 19 times