[ale] need working dialup

[Mark Wright]

Hi all,


I am exasperated. (ooh I even spelled it right)

I have been trying for three months in my spare time to set up a nice 
little Linux box for my mom.  She badly needs a replacement for here 
Apple IIsi.  She is on dial up.  I am a computer professional.  
Whatever that means.  I have been repairing Mainframes since 85.  I 
used dial up back when every modem command and network option had to be 
entered by hand on whatever tty device we were lucky enough to have.  
So why can't I get a Linux distro to connect to Earthlink?

I have tried FC2, Mandrake 9.2, and 10.0, Knoppix 2.0, Linspire 4.5, 
and Ubuntu.  I have two identical US robotics 56K modems that work fine 
on any machine.  One of them was working on an OS2 box only a few 
months ago.

FC2 had a strange issue with the modem that I corrected via a tip I 
found online.  All the others auto sense the modem and dial it 
correctly without help.  I get to the same place with al the different 
distos.

 From /var/log/message on Ubuntu:

chat [24230]: send (ATST6782454201)
chat [24230]:  expect (connect)
chat [24230]:  ^M
chat [24230]:  CONNECT
chat [24230]:  - - got it
chat [24230]:  send  (/d)
pppd [24227]:  Serial connection established
pppd [24227]:  Using interface ppp0
pppd [24227]:  Connect :  ppp0  <--> /dev/ttyS0
pppd [24227]:  LCP:  timeout sending config-Requests
pppd [24227]:  Connection terminated
pppd [24227]:  Hangup  (SIGHUP)
pppd [24227]:  Exit .



I have printed a three inch notebook full of HOW-TO's from the 
internet.  I have followed many rabbit trails.  I have read ppp set up 
instructions from 1996 but I have no answers.  I have tried to set up 
my Speedfactory account with a local dial up number to verify that it 
is not Earhtlink being funny.

Is any one using a Linux machine with a modem.   I am willing to buy an 
internal or another external or really anything that will make it work.

I have looked at every file associated with communication for config 
and privileges but will gladly go over anything again.  If you have a 
working configuration I would love to compare.  Sorry this is so long 
but I am only scratching the surface.

Any ideas?
Thanks,

Mark Wright