Dialup configuration

This page is relevant to both the Ubuntu boxen and the Freekbox3

Network Manager

In Hardy Heron (Ubuntu 8.04) boxen, this is the preferred method, but in Dapper Drake boxen it does not work very well, and in Jaunty Jackalope (9.04) dialup is no longer supported in the Network Manager.

First, you need to determine the device your modem is called by the OS. Open a terminal and run "wvdialconf". That program will probe for modems and report its findings. If a modem is found it will be in the form of "/dev/<device>", e.g. /dev/ttyS1 or /dev/ttyACM0.

1. Open the network manager
2. Click "Unlock" and put in your password
3. select the point to point connection and edit
4. put a check in "enable this connection"
5. on the modem tab, make sure the device is set to what you found with wvdialconf
6. on the options tab, make sure you are using the ISP's nameservers, and to set the connection as the default route
7. on the general tab, fill in the information the isp gave you (username, password, phone number)

gnome-ppp

This program is present on all older (dapper) Free Geek Ubuntu boxen in the Internet menu or as a red teleophone on the upper panel. It is not present on default Ubuntu installs. It is also easy to install on Hardy machines.

Advantages

• Graphical interface
• Easy to configure, defaults mostly good
• Excellent logging, easy to tell when and how failure happens
• Auto detection of many kinds of modems, including PCI modems on ttyS14 (if MAKEDEV has been run) and linmodems (if the appropriate package has been run)

Disadvantages

• no ATI query

Configuration

Generally the only thing needed is to put in your username, password and the phone number (make sure you check the "Remember password" box). You may need to detect the modem. To do this, click the setup button and click the "Detect" button on the page that comes up. It should find the modem and put it in the Device window. If it does not find a modem, there is a basic hardware or hardware configuration issue.

pppconfig

This program is always present on a Debian or Ubuntu box as part of the default install.

Advantages

• reliable
• easy to configure for someone familiar with command line
• can be used by normal user

Disadvantages

• requires root to create new connection and to debug
• not obvious to someone used to a gui interface

Configuration

• open a terminal, become root, type pppconfig
• Use the defaults for most things
• The modem may be autodetected if it is a ISA modem but if it is not, or the modem is a PCI modem, manually enter /dev/modem

Use

• to start a connection, type "pon" (if you created a connection with a name other than "provider", you must use "pon <name>")
• to close a connection, type "poff"
• to debug (as root) type "plog". this shows the tail of the ppp log.
• to tell if you are connected type "netstat -nr" and look for the ppp0 interface.

kppp

Part of the KDE desktop system, kppp is present on all freekboxen 2 and 3 but is not present on Ubuntu boxen.

Advantages

• Graphical windows-like
• Easy to configure, defaults mostly good
• Easy to get ATI command responses

Disadvantages

• Very flaky, fails to work at reasonable speed on good modems
• buggy
• Often need to edit pap-secrets anyway

See also

• http://www.virtual-cafe.com/modeminit.html for handy modem initialization strings
• modem configuration for the hardware end of things

Problems

password problems

With some ISP's using the default configurations of kppp and gnome-ppp does not work. In those cases, you can generally get the account going by editing the pap-secrets file.

by hand

You need to open a terminal and su to root. Then type the following line:

nano /etc/ppp/pap-secrets

Add your username and password on the last line of the file in the following format:

username * password

The "*" is necessary.

Save by typing ctrl+o, then enter, then exit with ctrl+x.

pppconfig

pppconfig adds the username and password to pap-secrets. This is an easy way to fix password problems and gives you another dialer.