DialUpSupport

DialUpSupport

Status

Introduction

Discusses approaches for connecting to the Internet with a dialup (analog) modem using Breezy, especially with (software-based) WinModems.

Dial Up Support – under NetworkMagic /PPP session? Win Modems, USB SL Modems

Rationale

There are still a big number of computer users around the world connected to the Internet via their modem using a phone line. These users can be of the following:

  • Home users who don't rely on the internet that much for daily tasks: they just send/receive email from family and friends, surf the net when they just need to, chat to family and friends via IM on specified times, etc. (typical "Grandparents new to computers" scenario).
  • Broadband connection is not immediately available in their area
  • Broadband connection is expensive in their area; these people rely on narrowband (dial-up) connections using either an ISP subscription or Internet access pre-paid cards available in their area.
  • Mobile users in their laptops that are out of town and dial-up is the only way they can connect to the net for email, vpn, etc.

Some modems (mostly external serial modems) can be detected by Hoary and can be used out of the box. However, setting up an internet connection via dial-up can be quite intimidating to users who are used to creating them using connection wizards.

Majority of the problems encountered by new users are:

  • How to use their existing (currently unsupported) modems that impede them from using Ubuntu as the only operating system in their computers.
  • How to connect to their ISP without messing up with Gnome's Network Administration tool. These users are more familiar with connection wizards.

Scope and Use Cases

This spec will cover the installation, configuration of Dial up support for different kinds of modems in Breezy.

Modem Types

  • Serial Connected Modems - modems connected via serial cable to the serial port of the computer. Most of the modems available of this type are "true" modems, that is, modems that are controller-based.
  • USB Connected Modems - modems connected via USB to the USB ports of the computer. The modem driver for this kind of modem could be automatically loaded by hotplug.
  • Bluetooth/IR Modems (via Mobile Phone) - we need a mobile phone with Bluetooth and IR capabilities and the frontends for Ubuntu in order to setup the Bluetooth/IR connection. Need to test this with Bluez (included in Main).
    • This gets a serial tty, then treat as an AT modem for dial/HSCSD/GPRS.
  • PCMCIA Modems - for mobile access, they are similar to serial connection modems; mostly used for laptops
  • PCMCIA Data Cards - for mobile access, aka GSM Phone without a keyboard or screen. Requires extra initalization before becoming an AT device. Roaming is complicated (eg, select network and select APN).
  • PCMCIA 3G/UMTS Data Cards - show up as USB serial device. Need extra commands to prefer GPRS and/or UMTS.
  • PCI Modems - most PCI modems are lacking standard modem parts (usually a controller) and only work under Linux if particular drivers are written specifically for the device. These are normal serial devices or soft modems.

  • Onboard Modems (winmodems, sl modems) - OEM modems, mostly found on laptops, OEM desktops. LaptopHardwareSupport may also cover these type of modems.

  • ISA Modems - legacy modems, these are virtually all serial devices.

There are two basic kinds of dialup modem: hardware modems and software modems. Software modems are also commonly referred to as WinModems. Most computers sold today are sold with WinModems (they are cheaper). \since WinModems are effectively a sound-crd connected to your phoneline, tthey require software (drivers) installed on the computer to generate and demodulate the squeaks ansdschwarks.. Some manufacturers of WinModems publish their drivers for Linux. The drivers can either be open source or closed, or a combination using a userspace program as the DSP.

We currently have a new Modem howto contribution in the Ubuntu Documentation svn trunk.

Requirements

  • ppp-enabled kernel
  • Modem
  • Serial Cable, if external modem.
  • sudo access
  • ISP dialup access phone number.
  • username and password for this dialup account with your ISP.
  • The name of the modem device (/dev/...). ...should be auto detected!

Setting Up the ppp dial-up

  • KDE has a setup wizard via kppp

  • Gnome dial up can be set-up via System > Networking and enabling Modem connection if modem is detected

Ways to connect via ppp (packages are in Main)

  • curses-based (pppconfig)

  • Gnome Networking tool (System > Networking) - needs sudo

  • KDE kppp - it needs sudo access to configure it
  • wvdial - intelligent dialer that is more flexible compared to pppconfig

Implementation Plan

We currently have a new document from the Ubuntu Documentation svn trunk and it will be reviewed prior to having an approved specification.

linmodems.org has a tool called scanModemtool to identify an unsupported modem's chipset.

There is a Winmodem howto: http://walbran.org/sean/linux/linmodem-howto.html

PCI card modem information can also be search thru the PCI Vendor and Device List Database

We may need to check out/have a database of the most popular modem chipsets. If such information can be useful to us, we can probably add an enhancement to ogra's HardwareDatabaseRoadmap.

Data Preservation and Migration

Packages Affected

  • kppp

  • ppp

  • pppconfig

  • wvdial

  • system-tools-backends

User Interface Requirements

  • curses-based (pppconfig)
  • Gnome panel modem applet - uses Gnome Networking tool for setup

  • Gnome Networking tool (System > Networking) - needs sudo, runs pppd directly (doesn't need wvdial)

  • KDE kppp - it needs sudo access to configure it

  • wvdial - intelligent dialer that is more flexible compared to pppconfig (fails miserably with some ISPs unless "Stupid mode" is enabled)

Outstanding Issues

Since we have various dialers in Main, we can choose one standard for Breezy. We can move the others into Universe.

  • GSM/GPRS devices may need pin entry and network selection.

UDU BOF Agenda

Most of the problems encountered with regards to Dial-Up are with softmodems. In general, dial-up works very well in Ubuntu and we have to decide about the packages to have one package in Main.

Add a program GPRS Easy Connect http://www.gprsec.hu for connecting to the internet with a mobile phones/modems PCMCIA with irda/USB/COM/Bluetooth and GPRS/EDGE/UMTS

CategoryUdu CategorySpec

UbuntuDownUnder/BOFs/DialUpSupport (last edited 2008-08-06 16:33:00 by localhost)