Dear friends: I am lucky enough to have Bellsouth ADSL service. However, I have gotten pretty tired of the frequent down times for ADSL either because of server breakdowns or the regular early morning (4 a.m. to 6 a.m.) maintenatce and upgrade downtime. They like to say that you are always online with ADSL. This is absolutely correct, so long as you are of course online. So, I decided to add an external modem to my Linux box as a backup. I use it for two purposes: a) to connect to Bellsouth with a modem and b) to connect to our local Unix-run FreeNet if Bellsouth's ADSL AND dial-up services are down (which is not rare). I have an external CNET v.90 56k voice/fax/data modem, which I got from TigerDirect. Specs: System requirements: IBM486 or Higher, 8MB of RAM, Win3.1, 95/98 Supported Standards ITZU -T V. 90 Supported Protocols V.90, V.34, V.32bis, V.32, etc. Data Compression: V. 42bis, MNP5 Error Correction V.42 LAPM, MNP 2,3,4 I have used this modem with success on our Compaq 486 Win 3.1. Works great and connects everytime. When using my ext CNET 56k with Linux, I have connected with both Bellsouth as well as with my FreeNET. However, I am having problems connecting on a regular basis with Bellsouth. Here is what happens. I configured my modem with kppp. I checked with Bellsouth. The settings are all correct. I have, after all, connected several times with Bellsouth and used Netscape, my RealPlayer, etc with success. I begin by making sure that my ADSL is OFF. So, I turn my ADSL modem off and reboot to localhost@sher, go into KDE, and click on kppp. Now when I first click on kppp I get a strange message: "Your kernel does not support kppp either directly or by means of a kernel module." The message disappears and my dial-up dialogue screen appears. I type in my user name and password and click OK. My log shows the following: ATH OK ----- ATZ OK ATM0L0 OK ATDT525-3398 OK ATH OK etc. [At the ATDT525-3398 stage above you see at the bottom of the log screen "Expecting CONNECT". When it does connect, you see on the log screen CONNECT 56700] I let this process repeat itself several times in case Bellsouth is busy. Is it possible that that's all it is? Another funny thing: Sometimes I get the strange message "Setting speaker volume". I guess this has something to do with the fact that CNET supports voice communication. Sometimes the message appears and sometimes no. Another thing: Sometimes you can hear the modem dialing out and connecting and sometimes it will dial out silently and still connect. One more funny thing: One night when I dialed out I got a completely blank log screen: no data at all. Just a blank screen as the modem dialed out. I do understand the problem with the lock file, and when this happens I just delete the lock file from /var/lock. I have also tested my modem with Minicom, a communications program I use to connect to my New Orleans FreeNet Unix shell. Sometimes I have the same problems and sometimes not. Well, those are the symptoms. Do you think my modem is in fact Linux compatible and that my problems are not related to Linux issues as such? Any idea what might be preventing me from connecting on a regular basis? Would appreciate any expert advice from our list members. Thank you so very much. Benjamin -- Benjamin and Anna Sher [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sher's Russian Web http://www.websher.net
