Modems

[Charles Rishel]

As you have heard from many others, I also echo the sentiment that an 
external modem is the easiest and fastest way to get your linux box 
online.  When I initially got into linux, I had an internal ISA modem in my 
computer.  I fiddled with ISAPNPTOOLS, SETSERIAL and a whole host of other 
utilities to try and get it to work.. with limited or no success.  Six 
months later I finally got it to work, when of all things, I was 
configuring my soundcard.. ISA also.. and in the resulting ISA config file 
I noticed that it picked up my modem also.. then it finally worked.  When I 
decided to upgrade from 28.8 to 56K, I got a great deal on a 'Winlight' 
external 56K modem, so I bought it.  Although I hate additional external 
devices cluttering the desktop, and the additional wires associated, I 
found that I could have any new install of Linux online within 10 minutes 
with the external modem.

 From that moment on, I have NEVER messed with another internal modem on my 
Linux boxes.

Just my experience with internal modems and my .02

Chaz®

At 09:09 PM 5/5/02 -0400, you wrote:
>Which would be easier, to install an external modem, or recompile
>my kernel with the neccessary drivers to make the HSP modem
>card work ?
>
>My goals are: a) to NOT crash my linux box anymore.
>                      b) to get the aforementioned on the internet with as
>little grief as possible.
>
>I know absolutely nothing about external modems except that
>they're an external device with all the HARDWARE required to do
>what a modem is supposed to do. I have a serial and two USB
>ports available.
>
>I have located and downloaded the [hopefully] correct targz with the
>drivers to make the PCtel HSP56 software modem work in linux,
>but I don't think I have the compiler unless Mandrake 8.1 gave it as
>part of the default rpms. I have the PCtel modem mini-Howto if
>anyone cares to read it for correctness. It makes a big deal about
>how you can break your machine and do this entirely at your own
>risk, and I'm very hesitant to fool with my kernel.
>
>Any input for or against either option gratefully accepted.
>
>
>Scott
>
>Registered Linux User 261118