[NBLUG/talk] FC4 can't find my pcmcia modem

[John F. Kohler]

Hi,

I installed Fedora Core 4 in my Dell laptop (4150) without incident.  I
like to have access to dial-up as well as the DSL service in case the
DSL drops out for any reason.

eth0 is configured by the installation program, but ppp0 is not and I
must use the GUI process because I am command-line challenged.  On FC4
this is Desktop->System Settings->Network.  The Dialog Box "Network
Configuration" has a "new" button on it which leads to 6 device types.
#3 is Modem connection.. so far so good. The "forward button" after
selection of Modem connection, searches for a COM or tty/S port.  

Under FC3, a port would be chosen (tty/S3, I think) and I could go  on
and enter my local dial-up number, ISP  id/password, and all the rest.

Under FC4 a dialog box comes up:

system-config-network:
No modem was found on your system  (OK) 

Strangely, this not prevent me from going to the next screen and
entering the ISP, phone number, etc.  But when I do, it is for naught,
because network-config had not found the pcmcia (USR 56K) modem that I
have.

(There is a Winmodem wired in the laptop, but I have tried and failed to
get "linmodem" software to drive it.)

I am not good enough at minicom -s to see if any connection can be made
to the modem, and I don't know enough of the command line options,
ifconfig, netstat, or the others to figure out what failed with the
net-config wizard.

Any help would be much appreciated.

John