Re: my 56k dialup internal modem (V.92 Data/Fax/Voice) is not working on linux

On Mon, 29 Jan 2007, in the Usenet newsgroup linux.redhat, in article
<epm0n6041g@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Joe Cipale wrote:

Moe Trin wrote:

The problem with _external_ modems is that modern systems are less likely
to have the classic RS-232 serial ports. Remember, it's an old fashioned
specification that originated in 1969 - over 12 years before the IBM PC.
The replacement is USB,

and you're back to the compatibility problems. Yes, there are USB to
RS-232 adapters, but how much longer do you expect modem manufacturers
to build RS-232 modems?

Okay,

This got me thinking (dangerous)

Should we shoot red flares into the sky as a warning to others?

and looking at the connection between my modem and firewall (even more
so...). My modem has a 9-pin D-shell connection that attaches to the
back of my firewall (an old Gateway PC with a 233MHz Pentium Pro running
Smoothwall 2.0).

OK, let's explore this a bit. You've got two devices with finite life
times. Eventually, one or more is going to it's final reward, what ever
that may be. If the computer goes, a quick trip to the dumpster, or
the yard sales, or similar should turn up a crappy old computer that isn't
capable of running windoze XP (never mind vista). For a firewall, even
one connected to a cable modem via 10BaseT, you don't need a high power
box. My primary connection to the world (which also has an external
modem hanging off the second serial port) is what is left of a 386SX-16
laptop. No case, no display, no keyboard - primary admin is over the LAN
with a backup of a Remote-Serial-Console (see the HOWTO by that name).
I actually have two spare modems (both are internals) installed on two
of the servers. To avoid a lightning strike wiping out all the modems,
the backups are simply not plugged in.

OK - you tell me that you can't find a Piece Of S... computer at the
dump or the yard sale, and the only thing you can find is lacking the
RS-232 port on the motherboard. Fine - what _does_ it have? ISA or
PCI slot available? So are cheap serial boards. USB? Two solutions
there too - the cheaper being a USB to serial adapter. The more
expensive solution is to regretfully replace the old modem with something
newer - perhaps a broadband connection if it's available, or a real USB
modem otherwise.

If a modem goes, then you've got some searching to do. You may be able
to find a retailer who still has something with an RS-232 hose, but
these seem to be getting rare. Your other choice if you don't want to
go USB would be eBay, or those yard sales. By the way, if you can't get
wideband for any reason, it is a good idea to keep your eyes open for
cheap spare modems. I've still got a USR 5687 (ISA v.90) that I picked
up at a yard sale. It's cheap insurance.

I suspect that the RS-232 connection has been going away from sometime
now. But, it IS a standard that is used in a number of places
(primarily the Telco industry).

True - but another problem is that dialin ISPs are starting to get
scarce. I have four ISPs (don't ask), and three of them are dialin.
Two of the three have outsourced the terminal servers, because (at
least here in the Phoenix Arizona metro area) the dialin business is
loosing market share to the phone company (who does DSL and cable),
and the cable TV company (who does cable and DSL) as well as the
competing DSL providers, and it's cheaper for them to not to have
to support the lesser number of dialin customers directly. Oh, and
don't forget that no ISP has analog modem pools any more - it's all
that expensive T1 cards in an Ascend Max, 3Com "Total Control" or a
Lucent Portmaster or similar.

Old guy
.

Relevant Pages

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  • Re: my 56k dialup internal modem (V.92 Data/Fax/Voice) is not working on linux
    ... to have the classic RS-232 serial ports. ... The replacement is USB, ... but how much longer do you expect modem manufacturers ... loosing market share to the phone company (who does DSL and cable), ...
    (linux.redhat)
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