Re: dial-up modem usage

[Rob Owens <rowens@ptd.net>]

> On Tue, 08 Nov 2011 19:16:12 -0500, Rob Owens wrote:
> 
> > I'm setting up a Debian system for a friend, and he uses a dial-up
> > modem.  It's been many years since I dealt with a modem, so I could use
> > a few tips.
> > 
Thanks for the tips, everyone.  But it seems I have forgotten more about
modems than I realized.

I'm now using gnome-ppp as a dialer, which uses wvdial as a backend (I
think).  I'm also using martian-modem, which provides a driver for my
Agere WinModem.  Besides that, I'm testing with an external modem (usb
connection).

I can get gnome-ppp to recognize both modems.  But when I attempt to
dial, I don't hear a dialtone or any dialing.  Almost immediately the
application says something like "sending password", and it hangs there.
Of course it's going to hang -- it has not connected yet.

So I'm thinking maybe I need some kind of initialization string for the
modem.  Are they specific to a certain model of modem?  Is there
something else I should be trying?

Thanks

-Rob