Adam_30457

I am wondering, is dial-up a problem with every distro of Linux or is it just some?

Bartender

Dial-up is a pain mostly because of all those darn winmodems. If the manufacturers took the time to write some Linux drivers it'd be a whole different deal. Open-source developers are too busy with new technologies to spend a bunch of time reverse-engineering drivers for what's seen as obsolete technology.
The problem with that view is of course the fact that much of the world is still using that obsolete technology.
I've read that Puppy Linux has some of the best modem detection, but it's a minimalist Linux distro that most new users would probably find intimidating.
There are glimmers of hope that Linux is gaining enuf popularity to create some solutions in the dial-up area. If Linux developers can't solve our problem, maybe the modem manufacturers will. Dell releasing Ubuntu PC's and Conexant drivers is one positive step. New modems like Zoom's neat little 3095 also offer encouragement.
fred o'brien will hopefully be back here in a few days with a report on the 3095.

Adam_30457

Here's my thing, Bartender, the town I live in is behind the time of technology and I am fortunate enough to get dial-up internet so that is the only way to get online. I will be honest when I found out that neither of my modems would work in Linux, I was disappointed, in fact, I actually though about not trying Linux, but decided that it was worth a shot. I wanted something to replace Windows and be able to do what I do on windows everyday(which is pretty much hanging around TSF) and have a learning expierience with it. I guess I am still stuck with Window$ for a while longer. Maybe someday someone might help dial-up users with Linux and make drivers for those dadgum winmodems.
Maybe one day I will have Linux working in my favor. For now, I think I will research Linux(mainly Ubuntu) and hope for the best.

Bartender

Hi, Adam -
I know what you're talking about. We live on a rural road, only 3 miles from town and about 3.5 miles from the main Qwest phone switch house. For some reason they can't get around to running DSL up here. People further out of town than us have it!
To make things worse, the ISP we're using doesn't cooperate with Linux. I can go online for a little bit, then they cut me off. We pay them so little for internet that I've put off going to a different ISP.
So I tinker with Linux and wait for DSL.
In the meantime I've collected 4 serial externals (3 USR, 1 Boca) and found those to be the most straightforward way to solve the hardware part of dial-up. But I still talk with you guys via our Windows PC.
And you're right, Linux is worth a shot.
Did you read my dial-up thread?

PureEvilDan

Try here:
http://www.linmodems.org/

Adam_30457

Thanks for understanding. Our town just got DSL speeds about three years ago and everyone that has it wished they had not abandoned dial-up and gone to dsl. We thought about satellite internet and realized when the price was 400$ just to get the equipment and an additional 50-75$ a month for the service. We re-thought that idea. Anyway, I think I will still tinker with Ubuntu and learn the ropes since I have two hard drives and the 40 gig slave drive I have hooked up isn't being used for much. I think it will go ok.


BTW, I have been reading your dial up thread little by little and it is awsome!!! I hope you don't mind I might be coming @ you with a lot of questions. You will find I am going to be an aggravating bugger when it comes to questions.

Bartender

I've been futzing with dial-up and Linux off & on for 2 years. Would give up for months, grit my teeth and go back to it, etc. Got angry with Ubuntu for the extra steps they make you go thru, but realized just recently how helpful the packages website is if you can get some time in front of a broadband PC. If no broadband is available at all to you, then PCLOS, Ubuntu, Mint, MEPIS, or any other popular distro will be fine. But keeping it updated with dial-up is going to be tedious at best.
I dialed in at home with a Feisty HDD recently. It said I had updates. I clicked on it just to see - 184 MB of updates.

I don't think so.

Thing is, by using the packages website I can probably get most of that while at work (on break time of course) with a thumb drive.

Now, what's this about everyone in your town regretting signing up for DSL??
Satellite's not quite as expensive here but still way too pricey, as much as I'd like to have some kind of broadband...

Adam_30457

What I meant about everyone in my town regretting dial-up is that it is offered through our local phone company and they have more trouble with DSL than Dial-up to the point that some days dial-up seems faster. When they set everything up for people in my town to get DSl, they did it in a hurry and it is very poor quality for what they charge when I can get satellite internet for the same price and get three times the speed.