Re: [SLUG] USB Modem

From: Tim Wright (t.wright1@mindspring.com)
Date: Mon Jan 26 2004 - 20:33:46 EST


On Saturday 24 January 2004 21:25, Bill Canaday wrote:
> On Thursday 22 January 2004 09:03 pm, you wrote:
> > This is a hardware controlled external modem, not a Winmodem. I checked
> > that before pulling it off the shelf. My problem is establishing
> > communication with the modem through a USB port.
>
> Tim, do you have any way of positively verifying that the modem itself is
> actually functional?
>
I connected it to my IBM 300GL and when plugged into a serial port, it works
fine with my Open Linux, Knoppix live CD, and Mepis live CD. The software
sees my internal modem, as well as the external plugged into a serial port.
The problems occur when I put on the USB adapter that came with it and plug
into a USB port, both on my IBM and the cheapie Acer that I'm trying to
resurrect. The adapter cable that came with this Actiontec modem has a small
board in it. I don't understand enough about USB to know exactly what it does
to look like an ordinary serial connection to the modem and a USB to the
computer.

Both Mepis and Knoppix see a PL2303 serial port in the USB devices. I imagine
this is the connection to the modem, or at least the board in the adapter
cable. KPPP limits my choices of USB ports to /dev/usb/ttyACM0 thru ttyACM4.
I don't what port the system may see the modem as. The "unable to open modem"
error messages I get from KPPP lead me to believe that the software at least
sees the USB modem. This may be a case of redirecting to the appropriate port
to connect with KPPP.

The cheapie Acer PC that's going to get this modem is currently running
Knoppix, and I can change to Mepis if that distribution will communicate with
the modem. Alternately, if I could get my hands on a slim profile serial card
for a PCI interface, then everything can go through ttyS0. The Acer's case
can't fit any cards more than 2.5 inches tall.

Actiontec's e-mail tech support said there are no Linux USB drivers and to
connect through a serial port, which sounds hinky to me for a hardware modem.
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