Re: Minicom problem
ktb writes:
> I feel bad that I can't get this figured out but I have reread the
> minicom man page and I can't figure out how to log on to my isp with
> minicom.
You *are* successfully logging in to your isp with minicom. That garbage
you get is ppp starting up at the isp. Minicom, of course, does not know
what to do with it. Minicom is a terminal emulator program intended to
connect to bulletin boards and such. The only reason to use it to dial up
your isp is to check out the login procedure. When you get the garbage
you're done: you now know the procedure. Disconnect and refer to your
notes when you run pppconfig.
> I have rerun pppconfig I put in "binary.net" in the first line, which is
> my default. Using "chat" as instructed. Doing that I would think would
> rewrite the old file not just create a new one.
Do you mean that in the "Provider Name" screen you changed "provider" to
"binary.net"? That tells pppconfig to create a provider configuration
named "binary.net". To use it, you must type "pon binary.net". You can
have as many different providers as you want, each with a different and
completely arbitrary name. "provider" is just the default name that pon
uses if you don't tell it anything else. If you just leave the "Provider
Name" alone when you run pppconfig and go on, you will create a connection
named "provider" which will come up when you just type 'pon'.
> I can get online with pon by itself ok.
Then what problem are you trying to solve?
> When I use minicom it still connects as I described in the message above.
Having done that and confirmed that you know the login procedure, there is
no point in doing it again (There is a way to exit minicom without
resetting the serial port and then starting pppd, but it's complicated).
> When you said, "when you type pon and it sees the ppp garbage
> (~y}#.!}!}!}~), it'll exchange LCP and you'll be on." What did you mean?
That pppd, unlike minicom, knows what to do with the garbage.
> What is LCP?
The protocol that your pppd and that of your isp use to negotiate the
connection.
> When I use minicom to dial my isp then I can't use pon; I get an error
> message to the effect that, ttyS0 is being used, when I do so. I don't
> understand this.
The modem is busy. It is not intended that you run pon while minicom is
connected.
> When I use minicom it is like I'm online but not online. I pick up my
> phone and it sounds like I'm online but my email program (netscape) can't
> access mail, like I'm not online. Then after awhile the connection stops
> and then the message "No Carrier."
The pppd at the isp end is patiently trying to get a response out of the
one it thinks is at your end (it's wrong). After a while it gives up.
You now know what it takes to log on to your isp and therefor have no more
reason to dial up your isp with minicom.
--
John Hasler
john@dhh.gt.org (John Hasler)
Dancing Horse Hill
Elmwood, WI
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