Re: Fw: X Windos System will not start
----- Original Message -----
From: "Hoyt Bailey" <hoyt13@wiredok.com>
To: "debian-user" <debian-user@lists.debian.org>
Sent: Sunday, November 02, 2003 11:02
Subject: Re: Fw: X Windos System will not start
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Kent West" <westk@acu.edu>
> To: "debian-user" <debian-user@lists.debian.org>
> Sent: Saturday, November 01, 2003 23:09
> Subject: Re: Fw: X Windos System will not start
>
>
> > Hoyt Bailey wrote:
> >
> > >----- Original Message -----
> > >From: "Kent West" <westk@acu.edu>
> > >To: "debian-user" <debian-user@lists.debian.org>
> > >Sent: Friday, October 31, 2003 21:43
> > >Subject: Re: Fw: X Windos System will not start
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >>Hoyt Bailey wrote:
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>>Ok Sold. I'm game but I need to get stable "stable" enough to get
PPP
> > >>>working.
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>Chances are you have a so-called "soft-modem" (aka "winmodem"). You
> > >>_might_ get it working, but it'd be a whole lote easier to just put a
> > >>real modem on one of your serial ports.
> > >>
> > >>--
> > >>Kent
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >The modem is a:
> > >Intel(R)536EP
> > >PCI Slot 3(PCI Bus 0, Device 11, Function 0)
> > >Mounted on Com3
> > >I believe it is a 56K V92, that is all I know about it. Exceot that it
> works
> > >with Windows XP and has caused no problems.
> > >1. Is it a winmodem?
> > >
> > >
> > Yes, it is a "win-modem". From http://www.intel.com/design/modems/:
> > "The Intel® 536EP is a controller-less modem chipset . . . ."
> >
> > >2. What is a real modem?
> > >
> > >
> > A real modem has all the hardware necessary to MOdulate/DEModulate a
> > signal. Controller-less chips (aka "host-based", "soft modem",
> > "win-modem") have only enough hardware to interface the computer to the
> > phone line; all the modulating/demodulating is down via software: This
> > has two advantages:
> > 1) It's cheaper to manufacture
> > 2) It's fairly easy to "upgrade"
> > However, I believe the disadvantages of a soft-modem outweigh the
> > advantages:
> > 1) It sucks up resources (RAM, CPU cycles) that would otherwise be
> > off-loaded to the modem hardware
> > 2) It requires driver software, which can only be written if by
> > someone who understands the internals of the chip. In essence this means
> > that only the manufacturer of the modem can write the software, and
> > typically the manufacturer only writes software for one OS only, that
> > being Windows. A few dedicated hackers will often reverse-engineer a
> > driver, but that takes time, effort, and may produce a driver with
> > severe shortcomings. In other words, if you have a win-modem, don't
> > expect to use it in Linux, and especially don't expect to use all the
> > features it's supposed to have.
> > 3) It's much more difficult to diagnose communication problems. With
> > a real modem, you can use a simple command from the command line to give
> > you some valuable information about the state of the hardware; with a
> > soft modem, you can never be sure if the problem is the OS or the driver
> > or the modem or the phone line or the protocol or the username/password
> > or . . . .
> > 4) There's less "insulation" between your computer and the lightning
> > strike in the next county over. Of course this can be greatly mitigated
> > with a surge suppressor on your phone line.
> > 5) You can't just yank the modem out of one machine and connect it
> > to another if need be. Instead you've got to connect it to a computer
> > with the right OS, and then install the driver.
> >
> > >3. Why might it be difficult to get it working?
> > >
> > >
> > See above: Disadvantage #2. I didn't do much research, but accordng to
> > this posting on the Linux Kernel Mailing list at
> > http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/linux/linux-kernel/2003-23/1091.html, it looks
> > like support for this modem has not yet been reverse-engineered yet. If
> > you have any influence at Intel, go complain to them; it's they who are
> > making your life difficult on this issue, not Debian.
> >
> > >Regards;
> > >Hoyt
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > --
> > Kent
> >
> Thanks for the information I have heard about winmodems but never knew
what
> the term ment.
> Regards;
> Hoyt
>
I did some research and placed an order for a US robotics USB5610B. I
believe it meets the requirements you specified and may solve my PPP
problem.
Thanks;
Hoyt
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