Modem trouble

I'm having trouble using my US Robotics external serial port modem with
Ubuntu Linux 7.10.

It automatically logs me on to the internet if the phone line is
available when I boot Ubuntu 7.10 without being told, even as I am
logging in.

When I first set up the modem I used the Gnome nm-applet (double-monitor
icon on top panel) to configure it. This applet also has commands to log
online and off. Everything worked just fine.

But after misc. changes to my system (new software mostly) now I get the
self-sign on mentioned earlier and the Gnome mn-applet log on doesn't
work if I plug in the phone line after looging in. However, if I let the
system log itself on the mn log off works, then subsequently the log on
works. <shrug?>

When on line, I can't find information anywhere that says I'm on line,
connection speed, etc. as Windows DUN does.

I enabled the Gnome Modem Monitor applet which is supposed to give modem
info - speed, on line, etc. and fake modem lights. It doesn't work at
all. Just has a connection error message.

I Googled and read about Gnome-ppp to manage the modem. I DLed it and
configured it exactly the same as the mn-applet. It doesn't work. I click
on Connect and it doesn't even try. <sigh>

I'm about to give up on Linux. I asked in the Ubuntu newsgroup but got
nothing helpful.

I suspect no one here has any guesses - to most, modems are obsolete.

TIA

Ken



--
"When you choose the lesser of two evils, always
remember that it is still an evil." - Max Lerner

Clifford Kite <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
news:(E-Mail Removed):

> Ken <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>> I'm having trouble using my US Robotics external serial port modem
>> with Ubuntu Linux 7.10.
>
>> It automatically logs me on to the internet if the phone line is
>> available when I boot Ubuntu 7.10 without being told, even as I am
>> logging in.
>
>> When I first set up the modem I used the Gnome nm-applet
>> (double-monitor icon on top panel) to configure it. This applet also
>> has commands to log online and off. Everything worked just fine.
>
>> But after misc. changes to my system (new software mostly) now I get
>> the self-sign on mentioned earlier and the Gnome mn-applet log on
>> doesn't work if I plug in the phone line after looging in. However,
>> if I let the system log itself on the mn log off works, then
>> subsequently the log on works. <shrug?>
>
> It seems that somewhere along the way some automagic configuration
> decided that you should be connected on boot-up. After boot look for
> a pppd pid file such as the one here, /var/run/ppp0.pid. Doing "pidof
> pppd" will show pppd's pid if pppd is running and it should be the
> same as what "cat /var/run/ppp0.pid" shows.

Yes.

> "killall pppd" will
> terminate a stuck pppd and perhaps allow nm to work. If a stuck pppd
> is the problem then "ps auwx|grep pppd" should show the process and
> might be informative.
>
> There should be some connection information in a log or logs, here
> it's found in /var/log/messages and other system log files in the same
> directory are syslog and debug.

dhcdbd Started up
dhcdbd message_handler: message handler not found ...
kernel [ 52,798366] NET: registered protocol family 17
chat [4230] ATDT 5970568 ^M^M

Excuse typos, if any. Copied from notes. The problem seens to start in
the fourth line. What's this 'chat'?

> YMMV, and probably does. Try doing
> "grep -Irs pppd /etc|less" and see what comes up.

/etc/init.d/pppd-dns
/etc/apm/event.d/ppp
/etc/reSd/S55pppd.d-dns
/etc/skel/Examples/Experience ubuntu.ogg
/etc/readahead/boot
/etc/ppp/ip-up.d/0dns-up
/etc/ppp/ip-up.d/0000usepeerdns
/etc/ppp/ip-down.d/0000usepeerdns
/etc/options
/etc/pppoe_on_boot
/etc/ppp/peers/provider
/etc/ppp/ipv6-up
/etc/ppp/ip-up
/etc/ppp/ip-down
/etc/ppp/login.defs
/etc/ppp/chatscripts/pap

> You really need to
> find out what is bringing up pppd on boot-up and then figure out how
> to stop it from doing so.
>
> By now it should be no surprise that I'm not a Ubuntu user nor a fan
> of desktops so that's about all the advice that seems useful to give
> unless you show some interest in more.
>
> Cheers-

TIA

Ken


--
"When you choose the lesser of two evils, always
remember that it is still an evil." - Max Lerner