[ltp] ThinkPad Modem Madness

Sat, 5 Oct 2002 23:16:21 -0400

The following results from my quest to connect my ThinkPad 600X to the
internet.  Although my experience is specific to the 600X and Red Hat
7.3, I found a great deal of information which may be useful to owners
of other ThinkPad models.

Having spent countless hours trying things that DON'T work, and
having discovered what DOES work,  I pass on my notes in the hope 
that they may be useful.
_________
GLOSSARY:

Winmodem - a modem manufactured very cheaply by providing only the
interface circuitry to connect to the phone line and omitting the
processor necessary to convert the audio signals to usable digital
data. Winmodems rely instead on driver software and your CPU to
perform those functions.  Winmodems are DSP modems.

DSP modem - a modem that relies on Digital Signal Processing software.
See Winmodem.

Linmodem - a winmodem for which driver software has been written to
run under Linux.  Winmodem manufacturers write drivers for Windows,
but drivers for Linux often don't exist.

LTModem - one of the several models of winmodems manufactured by
Lucent Technologies (now Agere Systems).  The excellent LTModem Linux
driver works with all the LTModems.  Several Thinkpad models,
including the 390X, TP570E, A2, T2, X20 and 600X use LTModems.

Mwave (or ACP) modem - a winmodem used on several Thinkpad models,
including the 600 and 600E and 770. Linux drivers are available from
IBM with updates as recently as 7/18/02. I don't know if they work.

Agere Systems - new name for the Lucent Technologies division that
develops and supports LTModems.

____________________________
USEFUL THINKPAD MODEM LINKS:

http://www.linmodems.org/ 
    Much general info for all linmodems and links for drivers
    refers to www.heby.de/ltmodem, below

http://walbran.org/sean/linux/linmodem-howto.html    
    Linmodem how to - detailed tutorial for the uninitiated

http://www.heby.de/ltmodem
    LTmodem (a.k.a Lucent Technologies modem)  drivers for linux  
    refers to linmodem howto, above

    FILES: 
        modem600.pdf  
            docu for the obsolete version 6.00 Windows 98, NT
            2000, ME drivers - only vaguely applicable to Linux

        ltmodem-kv_2.4.18_3-8.22a5-1.i386.rpm  
            precompiled for kernel 2.4.18-3 and ltmodem 8.22a5-1, 
            does NOT install on my RH7.3/TP600X - "flavor" problem

********
        ltmodem-8.22a5.tar.gz 
            source version, this WORKS.
********

http://www.agere.com/support/client/modem_drivers.html
    Agere Systems (a.k.a.Lucent) modem driver page

    FILES:
        v90atcom.pdf  
            extensive docs on modem AT control commands for all
            Lucent DSP modems. Necessary for writing init strings 
            and programs that talk to modems

        modem822.exe  
            Self-extracting, self-installing current version WINDOWS,
            not Linux modem driver.

http://www.pc.ibm.com/qtechinfo/MIGR-4VFTT3.html
    IBM's 390X, TP570E, 600X, A2, T2, X20 Lucent Modem driver for Linux

    FILES:
        ltmodem595lus.sh        
            obsolete ltmodem, does not compile on my RH 7.3, halts with
            undefined variables

        ltmodem595lus.txt
            skimpy doc file - just a few paragraphs

http://www-124.ibm.com/acpmodem/          
    IBM's Mwave modem (a.k.a. ACP modem) Driver for Linux. The FAQ 
    page states explicitly that the Mwave driver is for the 600,
    600E, and 770, and NOT the 600X which has the LTModem.

http://www.pc.ibm.com/support
    IBM personal computing support.  Enter your model and other
    numbers printed on bottom of unit then receive detailed
    description including exact installed hardware configuration.

http://www.linux-laptop.net/ibm.html    
    Linux on laptops's  IBM page - published results of individual
    users experience on many models, including 600x. Refers to Thomas
    Hood's 600 page, and others

http://panopticon.csustan.edu/thood/tp600lnx.htm
    Thomas Hood's exhaustive TP 600 page

_____________________________________________
INSTALLING THE LTMODEM DRIVER ON THE TP 600X:

The LTModem driver package is a fine piece of software.  It
automatically probes to see if it's the right driver for your modem,
checks your system for the right versions of necessary system
components, compiles, builds, installs, and tests itself.  And it
comes with more detailed documentation than you have time to read.
The install script pauses after every step showing a detailed report
of the results so far, and a description of what will take place in
the next step.  If something should go amiss, you'll know exactly what
happened.  Since everything displayed on the screen is also dumped
into a log file, a wealth of information about your system is recorded
in the process.

    download ltmodem-8.22a5.tar.gz from http://www.heby.de/ltmodem
    logon root
    cp ltmodem-8.22a5.tar.gz /usr/share
    cd /usr/share
    gunzip ltmodem-8.22a5.tar.gz 
    tar -tvf ltmodem-8.22a5.tar.gz | less 
            (Display contents of tarfile)
    tar -xvf ltmodem-8.22a5.tar.gz | less
    cd /usr/share/ltmodem-8.22a5
    vi 1st-readme   
            (Read the instructions, the 
             following steps are detailed)
    ./scanPCI 
            (Probes for Lucent modem, shows detailed info
             Creates output log file ModemDate.txt
             containing many web links to mfgr, etc)
    ./build_module  
            (THE makefile that compiles the driver
             Creates logfile bldrecord.txt be prepared
             to read many pages of handholding info)
    ./ltinst2            
            (makefile to install the driver modules)
    ./autoload            
            (creates modem device node and adds it to
                /etc/modules.conf enabling automatic loading
             when needed.
             creates symlink: /dev/modem --> dev/ttyLT0)
    plug in a phone line to your TP modem port
    ./checkout            
            (Preliminary test to see if driver can issue commands to
            the modem. Creates logfile checkout.txt)
    vi ./wvdial.conf 
            (edit to include your ISP phone, username, password, 
             and add line Modem=/dev/modem)
    cp ./wvdial.conf /etc
    wvdial
            (Test your modem, should connect to ISP,
             use ^C to disconnect)