Topic: Drivers for USRobotics external modem

[Time]

I am running SME V5.1.2 Server/Gateway. Would like to setup dial-up service.

I have an external US Robotics 56K data, fax, voice modem. Anyone have any experience using this on SME...if so, do you know where I can get the drivers I need?

Thanks in advance!

[Daniel van Raay]

You shouldn't need any drivers. If the modem is just a serial modem - it'll just work.

Daniel van Raay

[RS]

See my next message .
I could no connect with USR Courier vEverything external modem.
I changed to internal Motorola - still no luck.
If you get somewhere please let me know.
Regards,

Rumen

[fishd]

I use a USRobotics Courier-I ISDN terminal adapter and I just tell it to use Com 1 and the standard initialisation string and it works fine.

[mbru]

Daniel van Raay wrote:
>
> You shouldn't need any drivers. If the modem is just a serial
> modem - it'll just work.
>
> Daniel van Raay

I see this response in a number of posts regarding people having trouble getting their modem recognized.  I wish it were so.  I have a USR  56k Sportster external modem, connected to COM2.  It's not recognized by eSmith.  Not even a hint that it's been recognized.  I take the modem off the eSmith machine, and with the same cable, attach it to a Win98 box.  When I start that machine I see the message that Windows has detected the Sportster 56k modem.  I've run port diagnostics to confirm that the COM2 port is OK.  So I know the hardware is fine.  I have also been unsuccessful in getting an internal 56k v90 ISA (hardware) modem recognized by eSmith.

While I've configured numerous modems in DOS and Windows, I am pretty new to Linux and don't have a clue where to go next.  I've tried initialization strings found at USR's website for Unix-type systems with no luck.  I've tried initialization strings from various posts on this forum, without any success.

I don't mind doing some digging to find the answers, but frankly, they seem to be pretty well hidden.

[jrp2]

I am not sure exactly where the issue is, but I can assure you there are no special drivers needed for the Courier or Sportster external modems.  I have a big old stack of those sitting here and they work fine with SME with no changes.

Note that unlike Windows, Linux does not go as far as
recognizing" the modem.  It does however, "recognize" the com port.

I highly suspect in mbru's case (not enough info in Time's post to tell) that the issue is recognizing the com port itself.  Make sure it is enabled in the BIOS and make sure it is the com port you think it is.

One easy way to tell if it can talk to the modem at alll is if you see activity on the modem's LEDs when it tries to dial out.  If you see no LED activity, focus on the com port as the server is not even trying to talk to the modem.

Another trick is to goto the shell on the SME box as root, and run minicom.  Minicom is a term program.  You should be able to type "at " and get an "OK" back.  Try all the com ports.  Minicom is not very user friendly unfortunately, but might help.

Lastly, right after attempting to dial, check the /var/log/messages file and the other log files.  It might give you some clues (like if it is unable to open to com port or some error with the modem dialog).

Hope this helps.  Yeah, Linux can be frustrating with this kind of stuff.

[Glenn Kennedy]

I am experiencing exactly the same issue. My 5.1.2 server/gateway/dialup won't dial.

I've tried a USR v.90 internal ISA PnP (not a Winmodem) configured to COM2 (setserial, pnptools sees the modem, displays the model # and serial #), I've also tried a brand new ($149 at Staples today) external USR v.92 on COM1. Neither work. I reinstalled 5.1.2 after messing around with the internal modem; no action from the external modem. The log files shows the same set of entries as the earlier post on this thread "ATZ" "Alarm" etc.

I tested the external port with a dos 6.1 boot disk and procomm - the port works - so it's an e-smith/modem issue, not a com port issue.

Any ideas?

Glenn Kennedy
glennkennedy@rogers.com

[jrp2]

I thought of one other thing to try.  It is a bit of a shot in the dark, but easy enough and safe.

The "ATZ" diald is sending effectively "reboots" the modem and it returns to the settings in the modem's NVRAM.  This is a normal thing to do, and should be fine, unless there is some goofy setting in the modem's NVRAM.  You can reset the modem's NVRAM settings from a hardcoded template (essentially "factory") by typing the command "AT&F1" then "AT&W".  That is a one, not a lower case L.  The &F1 restores template 1 (hardware flow control defaults, which is what you want) and &W writes the settings to NVRAM as default.

You mentioned in your devinfo post that you can get in using a DOS boot disk and a terminal emulator there, that is a good place to do this command.

The only other thing I can think of is to try
COM3 instead of COM1 (or COM4 instead of COM2).

JP

[Glenn Kennedy]

Thanks Graeme, I've tried your suggestion and it's a no-go. I also bought a second modem, a Zoltrix, and the problem didn't resolve itself.

To be sure that there wasn't a hardware problem with the particular computer, I installed 5.1.2 on another computer in a VMWare session with the new Zoltrix and the problem doesn't go away. I think we're dealing with a bug. I'm going to scrounge through my old CDs and try a 4.1 install and see what happens.

Glenn Kennedy