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Although modems have been around for a long time, unsupported modems and modem with improper configurations can cause them to underperform or just flat-out fail. Add the fact that many common modems (referred to as winmodems) either don't work in Linux at all or need special drivers, and just getting a modem to work can be difficult.
Once you have a working modem, the next trick is to get it to communicate by dialing out to the service provider. This chapter describes how to get a modem working in Fedora, and then troubleshoot your dial-up connection to the Internet.
Because dealing with winmodems is one of the most common issues related to modem problems in Linux, refer to the "Using winmodems" sidebar to see descriptions of winmodems and linmodems.
Winmodems are controller-less modems. They are missing essential parts needed in a modem, which are emulated by software in Windows operating systems. You can get some winmodems to work in Linux with special drivers. But, if you have a choice, don't choose to use a winmodem in Linux.
Although Winmodem is a trademark of 3COM Corp., winmodem is used to describe a class of these modems. To tell if your modem is a win-modem, there are a few things you can do. The modem probably is a winmodem if:
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It says on the box that a Windows operating system (Win95, 98, and so forth) is required, or the title of the modem says it is "for Windows."
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The modem is listed on the box as controller-less or as a Host Controller (HCF) modem from Rockwell.
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You bought the modem recently and it was really cheap (under $20).
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It is an internal modem, especially in a laptop. (See the Using USB Modems section for a list of supported internal PCI modems.)
Refer to Table 13-2 at the end of the chapter for a list of sites containing drivers that support certain types of winmodems. Remember that you can't always tell if a modem is a winmodem from the brand name. The key information you want is the chipset used on the modem (see the section Checking Your Chipset for Linux Support in this chapter). From that you can determine if there is a driver available for you to try.
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