Thomas, Below is a typical wvdial.conf for a hsfmodem type. Likely you haven't removed the symbols ; < > Do an edit with: $ sudo gedit /etc/wvdial.conf Before trying a dialout do # ifconfig shutdown any channels except "lo" with commands like: # sudo ifconfig eth0 down before attempting a dialout like: # sudo wvdial MarvS --------- [Dialer Defaults] # Specify the modem port through Modem = /dev/ttySHF0. Baud = 57600 Init1 = ATZ Init2 = ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 # X3 is needed ony when phone line messages are low Init3 = # Area Code = 407 # is already included below Phone = 4076414021 Username = LoginName Password = YourPassword #vCarrier Check = no # only needed for /dev/pts/N ports Dial Command = ATDT # Stupid Mode = 1 # try without this iniitally ISDN = 0 Auto DNS = 1 On Sun, Jan 11, 2009 at 7:05 PM, Thomas Tharu <xteesquare@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > Dear Jacques, > This is basically a THANK YOU message, since I have > reached the stage where the "sudo wvdial" command > returned an OK, modem initialised. But it also > reported that the configuration did not specify a > valid phone number, login name, or password. I guess > these and subsequent problems will have to be solved > through further reading, or help from appropriate > Linux and Ubuntu forums, rather than LinModem. > I think it is appropriate for me to express my thanks > to Marvin and you right away, because I never expected > to get this far so soon, considering how much of a > novice I am! I do appreciate the dedication and > sincerity with which people like you volunteer to help > newcomers to Linux. I hope I am not wasting your time > if I make some remarks about my relationship with > computing: > I am really an old-fashioned mechanical engineer, not > at all computer-friendly. I'm over sixty now, and was > quite comfortable with slide rules and manual > drawings. My first exposure to computers, about > twentyfive years back, was Fortran programming using > punched cards on a main-frame IBM, when I went back > for a post-graduate degree. I never followed that up, > and it is less than ten years since I acquired a PC > rather reluctantly and have been using it more like > typewriter (with MS-Word97 running on Windows98), plus > a little bit of e-mail and internet through dial-up. > I am aware of the issues relating to Microsoft, and > have been reading about Linux for a few years now, but > it never seemed like a practical option for the layman > who is effectively trapped in Windows. I even prefer > to have a minimum dependence on computers, since I > feel that all these modern technologies tend to be > misused. In my experience, the use of computers seems > to promote a lot of carelessness and the inability to > think about basic principles -- but let me not stray > too much from the topic. > About a year back I got a new laptop (Dell Inspiron > 1520, with WinXP preloaded), and due to limited time > and ability I have been experimenting with it off and > on. After many misadventures I succeeded in > discovering the hidden Dell partitions, shrinking the > C: drive with GParted, recovering a 'lost' partition I > had deleted by a wrong Windows command, and finally > installed Ubuntu 8.04.1 for dual booting. Once I can > get the Internet connection OK I will be able to > retire my rickety old PC which 'hangs' almost daily > now! > My inexperience with computing will probably fill a > joke book. For instance my 'success' in getting as far > as wvdial was achieved through a series of blunders > and repeated trials. Besides not knowing how to send a > plain text e-mail, I could not at first distinguish > between the devc6-deb download page (html) and the > download package (deb) -- I tried to 'unpack' the html > file! In general it is impossible (for me) to remember > or record the sequence of events when something goes > wrong, due to the succession of confusing messages and > options which pop up. > Till very recently I never knew what a pen-drive was, > and remained unaware that my PC actually had USB > ports. When I got a CD drive added a few years back, I > kept getting the 'drive not reading' error, until I > was told that the discs have to be 'played upside > down' unlike a gramophone record. And so on. > I am however committed to switching over to Linux > entirely, but will have to proceed at my own slow > pace. It is reassuring to know that there is a very > helpful community out there. But the difficulties with > Linux can be very frustrating even for those who are > much more computer-savvy than I am, for instance as > seen in the Ubuntu Forums thread 885685 "linmodem > help, please", Aug 2008 (post#5 by A2JC4life). > Anyway, I am mentioning some immediate problems I have > faced: > 1.) I have entered the ISP dialing phone number > (without spaces), my login name, and password in > /etc/wvdial.conf, but they are somehow not being > recognised. I have read about options like ppp and > minicon, but haven't tried anything else yet. > 2.) In the network settings > connections tab, I > ticked the 'wired connection' option, address > indicated as 'dhcp' and properties: automatic > configuration. Other items like IP address, subnet > mask, gateway address were left blank. In the other > tabs (general, DNS, hosting) I did not know what to > do. I have dial-up account with dynamic IP (so no > fixed DNS?). Host alias properties shows IP address > "127.0.1.1" for thomas-laptop. I don't understand any > of this. > 3.) The volume control icon on the taskbar has a red > mark, from which the error message reads "... did not > find any elements or devices to control. This means > that you don't have the right GStreamer plugins > installed, or ... no sound card configured ..." > If there are simple remedies for any of these, please > let me know. > Thank you for your patience, and the > encouragement/advvice in your e-mail of 7 Jan, =Thomas > Tharu= > > > > >
