ADSL usb modems

[Rick Stevens]

Graeme Nichols wrote:
> On Tue, 2004-04-27 at 02:32, Rick Stevens wrote:

My previous post was in error.  Here's the right one (gotta keep the cat
off the keyboard)...

> 
>>Graeme Nichols wrote:
>>
>>>Hello Rick, my apologies if contacting you direct is a no no but I was
>>>after your opinion direct on the compatibility of RH8 and usb ADSL
>>>modems that are given free by the ISPs these days.
>>>
>>>I am thinking of upgrading to ADSL so wanted to know if they work with
>>>RH8 without problems.
>>
>>You didn't get me directly--you posted to the list ;-)
> 
> 
> Yes, I noticed straight after I posted. Sorry.

That's OK.  It's better to post to the list as others may respond.

>>There are some ADSL modems that work fine with Linux and some that
>>don't, just as there are some winmodems that work and others that won't. 
>>Keep in mind that this is not just a Red Hat issue--it's a general Linux
>>issue with manufacturers not helping an open source solution.
> 
> 
> My current ISP is offering a $A19.95 monthly 256K ADSL plan which is
> only $A3.00 more than I pay for a dial-up plan. Take into account the
> phone call savings and its almost par. Sounds too good to be true but
> this ISP has a pretty good track record. They offer a 'free' ADSL modem
> (which i guess is bound to be a USP device). Freebies usually turn out
> to be worth exactly what one paid for them so I am a little skeptical.
> You made a point previously that it is usually better to buy one's own
> modem in these cases

I don't know the current exchange rates (I'm in the USA), but that
sounds quite good.

>>If you can be a bit more specific, we might be able to help more.  Is
>>there a reason you're going with RH8.0 and not RH9 or Fedora?
> 
> 
> Laziness! I have had the 3 CD set from my RH9 Linux Bible for quite some
> time but I just haven't thought it necessary to upgrade. My system is
> extremely reliable and does everything I need. I can though if necessary
> for reliability. I am waiting for FC2 to come out and then I am planning
> to change hats. I don't have an ethernet adapter in my machine but they
> are so cheap these days that I can easily install one.

That they are.  Should you decide to get one, get a decent one.  You'll
be glad you did.

> I guess the question I am asking is "Given the right modem does RH8 have
> any trouble connecting to the internet via ADSL?"

Absolutely not.  Essentially, the usb-serial will get loaded to talk to
the modem, which makes the modem appear at the /dev/ttyUSB0 serial port.
Just adjust your scripts accordingly.
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- Rick Stevens, Senior Systems Engineer     rstevens at vitalstream.com -
- VitalStream, Inc.                       http://www.vitalstream.com -
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