Linux and Modems

Linux and Modems (Updated 18-Sep-02)

Other troubleshooting pages on this site can help you with a working modem and Linux - troubleshooting and extra initialization strings depend upon your modem's chipset. The only differences are where you put initialization strings, and the program that you use for terminal emulation (TTY) to troubleshoot the modem.

The biggest problem many Linux users will encounter is if the modem they wish to use is a 'soft' , 'Win' or USB modem, or if it is an internal PCI hardware-controller modem.

The first step is to identify your chipset. Linux-specific information and support is available for these chipsets:

Lucent/Agere LT Win Modem (Mars/Apollo) - Linux information
Rockwell/Conexant Soft56 - HSF - (Linux driver available from link to Olitec site)
Cirrus/Amibent/Intel HaM
PCTel HSP
Motorola SM56
ESS
IBM MWave for ThinkPad 600E

Additional Resources:

3com56k.rpm is a configuration package for 3Com 56k PCI controller-based modems (not winmodems). It is available from:

http://ftp1.us.dell.com/comm/
http://ftp.euro.dell.com/comm/
http://linmodems.technion.ac.il/packages/

- see this for more information.

Linmodems.org