Hi,

Im a Linux newbie. Recently I installed as a dual boot (on the same HDD as Windows XP) Fedora core 2. Everything went well and both OSs are working fine. However, when I attempt to set up a dial-up internet connection, the wizard does not detect my modem which is in COM3. So I manually choose the com3 option but do not change any settings. Upon attempting to activate the connection, I recieve either an error 2 or 6. I do not understand the error system and therefore do not know how to diagnose the problem. I have a Lucent Win modem. I have a feeling that the Win aspect of this name may be the problem. Am i right? If so are there any ways to fix the problem without buying a new modem.
Any help (in very basic terms) would be appreciated

PS. Modem and internet connection works fine on Windows XP and i have verified the ISP connection settings. The computer is not connected to a network.

Yes you are correct. So called winmodems do not have a controller onboard, but are designed to operate off the motherboard's resouirces. They are made for, and have drivers for Windows. Without knowing what the exact model of the modem is, it is difficult to say if there is any posibility of it working in Fedora. If Fedora did not pick it up, then it is likely not going to work.

For someone starting out in Linux, it will save a lot of headaches if you go out and buy a hardware modem. They are harder to come by, but worth the effort. Most external modems will work. Look for modems that do not say winmodem on the box, or that state that they work in Linux. If you buy one at your local computer store, ask a salesperson, telling them you need a modem for Linux. That way if it does not work, you can easily take it back.

DapperDan has had some luck in this regard (finding modems that work). I have not used one in quite some time.

danleff is right. Most external modems will work with Linux. I think external modems are the way to go, all the way around with Linux and Windows, because they will normally give you better stability and performance.

The Actiontec 56k 92v serial modem is, to me, the best choice for performance and price. Also, the Best Data V92, should work equally as well.

I'm sure if you know the name of your winmodem you can quite easily find a driver for it by searching on Google.

As for the errors:

log in as root

Error 2 can be fixed by:

ln -s /dev/ttyS2 /dev/modem

Error 6 can be fixed by:

cd /var/lock
ls

there should be an entry here referring to either /dev/modem or /dev/ttyS2, you need to delete this entry:

rm LCK..modem

'LCK..modem' is just an example, that is what the file i had to delete was called whne i had the same problem.

I know this is probably too late to help Mr. Matt, but I hope it can help some others out there.

- Kat