WVDial works but no connection in Fedora17 desktop

[wsanders2]

I want to connect to the internet via a dialup modem which is a US Robotics v92 USB modem which worked with F15, and works with Windows. The computer is a new ASUS desktop CM6870 with i7-3770 @ 3.40 GHz 64 bit system. I think wvdial is working but Firefox, Kmail, and Thunderbird fail to connect to server, or report no host. I am not computer literate, but here is what I did.
Using wvdialconf, then system-config-network, and finally Vim to remove duplicate lines, wvdial.conf reads:

[root@localhost gen]# cat /etc/wvdial.conf
[Dialer Defaults]
Init2 = ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0
Modem Type = USB Modem
Phone = 1234567890
ISDN = 0
Username = myname
Init1 = ATZ
Ask Password = true
Modem = /dev/ttyACM0
Baud = 460800

[Dialer Default]
Stupid Mode = 0
Inherits = *
[root@localhost gen]#

I get the following response from wvdial (where -> is not reproduced):

WvDail: Internet dialer version 1.61
Warning: inherited section[*] does not exist in wvdial.conf
Cannot get information for serial port.
Initializing modem.
Sending: ATZ
OK
Sending: ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0
OK
Modem initialized.
Please enter password (or empty password to stop):
(I entered my password)
Sending: ATDT1234567890
Waiting for carrier.
ATDT1234567890
CONNECT 31200/ARQ/V34/LAPM/V42BIS
Carrier detected. Waiting for prompt.
Welcome to 3Com Total Control HiPer ARC (TM)
Networks That Go The Distance (TM)
login:
Looks like a login prompt.
Sending: myname
myname
Password:
Looks like a password prompt.
Sending: (password)
-[7f]}#@!}!}!} }?}!}$}%j}"}&[7f][7f][7f][7f]}%}&Q”hV}'}"}(}"}1}$}%j}3}#} o[7f]~
PPP negotiation detected.
Starting pppd at Sun Nov 4 10:07:38 2012
Pid of pppd: 2115
Using interface ppp0
local IP address 209.222.232.189
remote IP address 209.222.229.227
primary DNS address 24.226.147.200
secondary DNS address 24.226.147.201

Control C was entered resulting in:
Caught signal2: Attempting to exit gracefully…
Terminating on signal 15
Connect time 1.8 minutes.
Disconnecting at Sun Nov 4 10:09:30 2012
[root@localhost gen]
(The pppd: 6 lines occurred but were not reproduced herein.)

I reconnected with wvdial and leaving the terminal open, I switched to GUI and called Firefox resulting in “Server not found” error. Similarly with Kmail, when I 'Auto Detect' in the POP3 Account Settings-Advanced I get “Unable to connect to the server, please verify the server address.” The address was used successfully in F15. and while Thunderbird responded with “Host not found”. Thunderbird also “Failed to connect to server.” The GUI Network Connections-System Settings—Wired shows “System p4p1 as never used. Within that (Edit Network Connection-System Settings) “Connection name: 'System p4p1' is set to connect automatically'” followed by 'Basic settings' and “Method: 'Automatic (DHCP)'”. The box “IPv4 is required for this connection” is checked.
The Firewall is set for “Desktop”. (i.e. Ipsec, Multicast DNS (mDNS), Network printing Client (IPP) and Samba Client.)

I returned to a terminal.
The chap-secrets and the pap-secrets files are the same in content:

[root@localhost ppp]# cat chap-secrets
# Secrets for authentication using CHAP
# client server secret IP addresses
####### system-config-network will overwrite this part!!! (begin) ##########
"myname" "MyRobo" "mypassword"
"myname" * "mypassword"
####### system-config-network will overwrite this part!!! (end) ############
myname 0 mypassword
[root@localhost ppp]#

Some reading suggested and I tried /sbin/route –n , and the resulting kernel IP routing table was:

Kernal IP routing table
Destination Gateway Genmask Flags Metr Ref Us Iface
0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 U 0 0 0 ppp0
209.222.229.227 0.0.0.0 255.255.255.255 UH 0 0 0 ppp0
[root@localhost ppp]#

When I “cat /etc/resolv.conf” I got a blank line followed by the terminal prompt. The file is empty.
I tried:

[root@localhost gen]# ping www.ubishops.ca
ping: unknown host www.ubishops.ca

A similar response occurred for whatever address I used.
Also after closing and reconnecting with wvdial:

[gen@localhost ~]$ uname -r
3.3.4-5.fc17.x86_64

Also:

[root@localhost gen]# ifconfig -a
lo: flags=73<UP,LOOPBACK,RUNNING> mtu 16436
inet 127.0.0.1 netmask 255.0.0.0
loop txqueuelen 0 (Local Loopback)
RX packets 104 bytes 6984 (6.8 KiB)
RX errors 0 dropped 0 overruns 0 frame 0
TX packets 104 bytes 6984 (6.8 KiB)
TX errors 0 dropped 0 overruns 0 carrier 0 collisions 0

p4p1: flags=4099<UP,BROADCAST,MULTICAST> mtu 1500
ether 10:bf:48:4e:28:20 txqueuelen 1000 (Ethernet)
RX packets 0 bytes 0 (0.0 B)
RX errors 0 dropped 0 overruns 0 frame 0
TX packets 0 bytes 0 (0.0 B)
TX errors 0 dropped 0 overruns 0 carrier 0 collisions 0
device interrupt 43 base 0x4000

ppp0: flags=4305<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING,NOARP,MULTICAST> mtu 1500
inet 209.222.232.167 netmask 255.255.255.255 destination 209.222.229.227
ppp txqueuelen 3 (Point-to-Point Protocol)
RX packets 5 bytes 82 (82.0 B)
RX errors 0 dropped 0 overruns 0 frame 0
TX packets 5 bytes 95 (95.0 B)
TX errors 0 dropped 0 overruns 0 carrier 0 collisions 0

wlan0: flags=4098<BROADCAST,MULTICAST> mtu 1500
ether 74:e5:43:19:99:11 txqueuelen 1000 (Ethernet)
RX packets 0 bytes 0 (0.0 B)
RX errors 0 dropped 0 overruns 0 frame 0
TX packets 0 bytes 0 (0.0 B)
TX errors 0 dropped 0 overruns 0 carrier 0 collisions 0

[root@localhost gen]#

I disconnected in wvdial.

The /etc/sysconfig/networking/profiles/default/ifcfg-p4p1 is:

UUID="397a72af-16b0-4d09-b9c6-8c43348b26fd"
NM_CONTROLLED=yes
BOOTPROTO=dhcp
DEVICE=p4p1
ONBOOT=yes
TYPE=Ethernet
IPV6INIT=no
USERCTL=no
DEFROUTE=yes
IPV4_FAILURE_FATAL=no
NAME="System p4p1"
HWADDR=10:BF:48:4E:28:20
PEERDNS=yes
PEERROUTES=yes
USERS=gen

I noticed “Type = Ethernet”, such that if my modem is using this file, there is an inconsistency.
The /etc/sysconfig/networking/profiles/default/ifcfg-MyRobo (my robotics modem) is:

# Please read /usr/share/doc/initscripts-*/sysconfig.txt
# for the documentation of these parameters.
DEVICE=/dev/ttyACM0
BOOTPROTO=dhcp
TYPE=Modem
AC=off
BSDCOMP=off
VJCCOMP=off
CCP=off
PC=off
VJ=off
PEERDNS=no
IDLETIMEOUT=600
DEFROUTE=no
PERSIST=no
PPPOPTIONS=
PAPNAME=myname
WVDIALSECT=Default
DEMAND=no

I of course would like a magic quick fix (or winning the local lottery), but failing that, where are some other places to look and what should I find there?
Thanks for reading so far.

[pjoh]

looks like its connecting but resolv.conf not being written or maybe being interfered with by nteworkmanager.
could try adding dns servers to resolv.conf manually i.e.


domain localdomain
search localdomain
nameserver 24.226.147.200
nameserver 24.226.147.201
nameserver 8.8.8.8

check its not overwritten by network manager

I can't remember if i used to have network manager running when i used to use a modem

maybe try NM_CONTROLLED=no option in the ifcfg file

[PabloTwo]

First of all, forget about your "p4p1" and "wlan0" entries and configuration scripts. With your USB dial-up modem you are only using and concerned with the "ppp0" stuff.

Fedora by default uses the NetworkManager network service. It is pretty much useless for dial-up configuration and control. You need to disable "NetworkManager" and enable "network", a.k.a system-config-network. As root in a terminal:

systemctl disable NetworkManager.service
systemctl enable network.service
systemctl stop NetworkManager.service
systemctl start network.service
system-config-network

The last command should launch the GUI network service manager program. With it, you can completely configure your dial-up modem connection, including ISP log-in info. It will generate a proper wvdial.conf file and a proper /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-<your_dialup_script> for you once you've made all correct configuration entries and then do a "save".

In the configuration setup, be sure to uncheck the box that says "Controlled by NetworkManager", so that in the in the config file you see "NM_CONTROLLED=no". And you also will want to probably check the box that says: "Allow user to enable and disable this device", so that you won't have to be root to activate the dial-up network device. Also be sure that once you have a "ppp0" device under the "Devices" tab in system-config-network, that the "Profile" box is checked. It's it's not then you wont be able to activate/deactivate the modem.

You will probably only need to "Edit" the ppp0 and modem device under the "Devices" and "Hardware" tabs. Once you're all setup correctly, then when you get dialed into your ISP, your /etc/resolve.conf file should be populated automatically from the info sent by the ISP. If for some reason it is not, there are some public domain name servers that you can manually set in that file yourself (mentioned in many threads on this forum).

[DBelton]

Actually, I have had pretty good results using Network Manager and dialup connections.

But, I did have to make sure that the routing was set properly so that the ppp interface got set as the default route when it was started. (try looking at the DEFROUTE= in the ifcfg-pppX file and be sure it's set to yes.)

I had to do some tweaking on the routing to get it to work correctly if I wanted to use the ethernet interfaces at the same time, too.

For a while, I had to go into the network configuration and disconnect the ethernet connection, and then start the ppp connection. Once done with the ppp connection, I then disconnected it, and restarted the ethernet connection.

[wsanders2]

Success! I can now connect to the internet by dial-up (using the DVD installation software). With the advice of pjoh, PabloTwo, and DBelton I did the following:

1. I reviewed the GUI system-config-network set up—the easiest option suggested. The problem is that there are only 3 windows therein, of which the most substantial has 6 line: name, device, ISP number, ISP login, ISP password and Modem Init string. There is no Profile box, Controlled by Network Manager option, nor the Devices or Hardware tab which I think KPPP used to have.

2. In my old readings I noticed a recommendation to link modem to tty0, so I did the same under the assumption it couldn't do much harm. “ln -sv /dev/ttyACM0 /dev/modem”and got the response '/dev/modem' -> '/dev/ttyACM0'.

3. Taking pjoh's distinction and PabloTwo's example I did as instructed in the terminal window as 'su':

systemctl disable NetorkManager.service
systemctl enable network.service
systemctl stop NetworkManager.service
systemctl start network.service

4. This alone, did not solve the problem but the /etc/sysconfig/networking/profiles/default/ifcfg-MyRobo had 4 additional lines added after 'playing around'. i.e. Wvdialing, net configuring, and rebooting:

IPV6INIT = no
ONBOOT = no
USERCTL = no
PPPOPTIONS = (blank)

5. The addition of the next in /etc/resolv.conf (using Vim in the empty file) did make things work.

domain localdomain
search localdomain
nameserver 24.226.147.200
nameserver 24.226.147.201
nameserver 8.8.8.8

The last step allowed me to connect to the internet using Fire-Fox and Kmail.

6. Not being smart enough to leave success alone I reversed the network, by disabling the network.service and enabling the NetworkManager.service. I can still connect to the internet but the NetworkManager GUI is again showing “System p4p1 never used” which is fine for me because I don't have any need of it. Some other reader may.

7. For other desktop GUI users, you have no choice but to learn to use the Vim editor in the terminal window. It's not difficult—on the contrary it is simple, but it is counter intuitive. Do be careful when exiting using Shift ZZ and not Ctl ZZ. That created a problem.

8. My first download was KPPP. It does not work at this time, but I have not updated the system wherein the problem may lie. So in order to connect, I must open a terminal and as 'su' wvdial, leaving the terminal open until I'm finished using the internet, then Ctl-C to close the dial-up and then exit.

Pjoh, PabloTwo and DBelton: many thanks for your advice. You re-leaved a great deal of frustration.