Mandrake 9.1 KPPP Modem is Busy error

[dalek]

I just installed mandrake 9.1 (fresh). I can connect to the internet using kppp a couple of times then I start getting "modem is busy" error. I have it set up the same way as in Mandrake 8.2. The only way to get it to work again is to reinstall OS (fresh, over itself doesn't work). Something changes when I reboot, I think. I also noticed that when it is booting with all the stuff scrolling up that it says starting internet connection. Is this right?
I have a internal 56k on ttys2/com3. This is the way it was with Mandrake 8.2. I've looked to see if kppp was running a process I didn't know about but it was not listed in KDE System Guard.
Can someone tell me if I'm going nuts? I've reinstalled enough now.
I'm out of ideas. It's strange that it worked fine with 8.2. Never had a problem.
I also have to go into menu drake to get the kppp to show up in K menu. Why is it hidden? Should I use something else to connect? Is it giving me hints? There is no other way listed in remote access but telnet. I would like to use kppp if possible.

:confused: :confused:

[dalek]

I wanted to update. I re-installed about a dozen times before deciding to try something different. I installed the last time but did not set up the modem during install. After booting the first time I went into Mandrake Control Center and added the modem and internet connection. I found out that you have to click on options in the harware part and select auto detect modem. That helped some.
It seems to be working at the time. If it messes up I'm going back to 8.2.
Thanks to the folks that read the post to see if they could help.
:D :D

[dkeav]

alright i have made my mind up this is the absolute last post im going to say this for the record " all mandrake users on modem, DO NOT INSTALL THE MODEM OR USE A WIZARD EVER" the work around for this is during the install go through the networking setup like normal, only deselct either everything if your not on a network or just the modem, I dont care if it is detected, deselect it you dont want to configure it, so with that skipped finish your install, when you get logged in DO NOT GO INSTALL A MODEM, just start kppp enter your isps number your login and password and hit connect thats it three things and one click there is nothing else (well, you may need to select what port your modem is on ie. ttys0, ttys1, etc etc) but outside of that three things and a click and your on, if its still hanging then its a software problem with pppd or kppp, just open a term and killall pppd or kppp or manually reset your modem problem solved, have fun, sorry to yell and rant its not aimed at you directly, its basically aimed at MS for warping ppl to overthinking things and thinking that they have to install and use a wizard for every little thing there is

[dalek]

I'll try that next. I've tried everything else. I have noticed though that when I did not install during OS install that KPPP was not installed. It was installed when I went into Mandrake Control Center and set up the network connection. It asked for the CD's and installed KPPP. I did notice later that there was a link in a different directory, connect to the internet or something like this.
I will try this the very next time I get a Modem is busy message. I'll check both links to see if I was looking in the wrong place the first time. One link is under Networking/remote access, the other was under What to do / something. It does not show up either until I go to Menu Drake and do a litlle reconfiguring.
Sorry I was not more specific on some of the paths but I just finished the install, again, and I have not updated the Menu yet.
Thanks for the help. I'll find out in a few days if it works or not. It usually only lasts a few days.

:D :confused: :D Happy, confused but happy anyway

[dalek]

I found another solution. Are you ready dkeav? I went shopping online. I found a modem for $40.00 at www.techdepot.com. It is a Actiontec EXV9212-01 external modem. It may be a few days before it gets here. If I get "busy" signal again I'll try your fix. It makes sense. I may try it anyway. I'm curious now.

Thanks for your post, I may need it before the new modem arrives. If I have any hair left!

:D :D :D

[dkeav]

external is definatly the way to go, i think i saw a us robotics at walmart for about that price maybe a lil more, but yeah they are so much easier to troubleshoot, since most of the problems with internal are buggy drivers, oh and you can choose to install kppp when you select your packages during the install, alternatively i think the package is called kde-networking something like that look for that package its on the third cd it has all the networking stuff, and that access the internet link is just another link to either kppp or gnome-ppp you can try it but its just going to start one of those programs, either way you should be good to go with the new modem, enjoy and have a good one

[dalek]

Well it died again. So I done the OS install again like you recommended. I still had to go into MenuDrake to get KPPP to show up. Other than that it connected right up. No wizard, so far so good. That saved a lot of time to!
Why does KPPP not show up? I looked in every menu and it is not there. Any ideas?
I think my modem should be here next Tuesday, most likely Wednesday. How do I set it up? I don't know how to do it through serial port. I never did that before.
Sorry to be a pest, but I'm a newbie. I'm disabled and can't see any reason to blow money on windows. I'd rather spend it on upgrading this 400MHz computer.
Hope you have a GREAT weekend!!!!
Thanks. . . .

:D :D :D :confused: :D :D
Happy, still confused, but Happy

[dalek]

Well it worked for one night. I didn't even shut down the computer this time and it said modem is busy. I have a USRobotics sportster. It's not a winmodem.

Any other ideas? I'm installing windows until this is fixed.
Any ideas would be appreciated.

:D :confused: :confused: :confused: :D

[dkeav]

umm i would just wait till you get the new modem, and setting it up is easy, just plug it in and give it power, and tell kppp where its at, like ttys0 ttys1 etc etc, thats it, oh i would take out the old modem too

[dalek]

dkeav: How do I know which one to select. I ruled out the usb ones because I don't have usb (ha, ha). But there is quite a list still to chose. Is the some way to find out which port to select or will it tell me at some point. I'm a newbie and windows won't install. It doesn't like the fact that MBR contains Linux I guess.

BTW, modem should be here tomorrow!!
Thanks much for your help.
:D :D :confused: :D :D

[dkeav]

well you should probably go with a serial modem, and judgeing from the specs you reported above you prolly have either two or one serial port( they are the nine pin male connectors on the back) it really doesnt matter which one you plug your modem into, you will just have to figure out which one it is under linux, so i have one on my machine and linux reports serial devices as ttys since we use the 0=1 1=2 blah blah under linux your first serial port will be ttys0 and the second ttys1 most likely your going to be using ttys0, this can be easily set in kppp under the device tab in the setup dialog, you just choose the port from the drop down list, so when you get your modem choose ttys0 and query it or try to connect, if none of the lil lights start flashing, well change to ttys1 and try again, go down the list till you have the right port then you should be golden, btw after all of this, if your still having problems keeping a connection its most likely on part of your isp, my isp only allows a max 4 hour connection period before your disconnected and have to reconnect, and during hot or stormy weather there are frequent drop offs, so that might not be helping matters any, either way i think youll get the modem figured out, its not too hard, if your run into trouble just post back, we will get you goin

[dalek]

Well I got the new modem and it installed like a dream. It even told me which port to use in KPPP, TTYS0. So far so good. I have also noticed that others are having problems with this same modem. ?????

On the ISP thing, there is no limit on mine and we rarely have phone trouble. We had a tornado rip through and still had phones. The phone company decided to bury all phone lines, except the one going across the yard, about 15 years ago. Problem solved unless somebody digs it up unintentially.

I hope I don't mess up somebodies search. I installed windoze the other night. Last night after installing the modem, I run FIPS and setup my hard drive with 2.5Gb for windoze and rest of 30Gb for Linux. I reinstalled the OS and modem and this is great. I have noticed that it installed more stuff this time. I love Pysol.

Thanks for your help. I hope this works. I'm disabled from genetic disorder so I spend a lot of time on confuser.

:D :D :D :confused: :D

More happy, not quite as confused.

[irlandes]

I have been running winmodems for several years. Lucent is easiest to install, find the rpm's which are essentially automatic, just like installing a Windows driver for anything.

Now, I have a Dell with Conexant hsf and it went in great, too.

A lot of people who had troubles with winmodems preach get a hardware modem, and if your modem isn't supported, that might be the answer.

However, I travel all over the U.S. and Mexico, and it makes no sense to carry an external modem almost as big as my laptop when the laptop already has a built-in modem that works great. Like a lot of linux stuff, if it does take a while the first time, what you learned is good forever.

[dalek]

According to the research my USRobotics isn't a winmodem it's a hardware modem. It may be something to do with different OS installs or something, but I'm suspicious of the modem or some part of OS because so many others are having problems with the same model.

I have also noticed that the problem started when using Mandrake 9.1 after using earlier versions of Mandrake. I haven't seen problems with other distributions yet. I am still curious about this even though I have mine up and running, so far. I used Mandrake 8.2 for months and had not one problem with the "modem is busy" error or any other error. Since I'm not the only person having this problem I would like to see it fixed. Some people like you (irlandes) may not have the option to do what I did.

I would like to help by finding out what the problem could be. Is it modem, maybe? Is it OS, possible? I haven't used Linux long and don't have much experience, but I like to fix things and help others with there problems. I hope that someone will see this post and have a answer, maybe someone at Mandrake or some programmer or someone that has some connections.

One thing I have noticed is there are a lot of helpful people on this website. That you won't find in windows, just technical pass offs blaming others.

Does anyone else have this problem and what started it? What distro are you using?

Thanks for everyone's help. I hope to pay it back soon!

:D :D :confused: :D