Establishing a Modem Connection

A modem can be used to configure an Internet connection over an active phone line. An Internet Service Provider (ISP) account (also called a dial-up account) is required.

To add a modem connection, follow these steps:

1. Click the Devices tab.

2. Click the Add button.

3. Select Modem connection from the Device Type list, and click Next.

4. If there is a modem already configured in the hardware list (on the Hardware tab), Network Administration Tool assumes you want to use it to establish a modem connection. If there is not modem already configured, it tries to detect any modems in the system. This probe might take a while.

5. After probing, the window in Figure 6-5 appears.

   

   Figure 6-5. Modem Settings

6. Configure the baud rate, flow control, and modem volume. If you do not know these values, accept the defaults. If you do not have touch tone dialing, uncheck the corresponding checkbox.

7. Click Next.

8. If your ISP is in the pre-configured list, select it. Otherwise, enter the required information about your ISP account. If you do not know the values, contact your ISP. Click Next.

9. On the Create Dialup Connection page, click Finish.

After configuring the modem device, it appears in the device list as shown in Figure 6-6.

Be sure to click Apply to save the changes.

After adding the modem device, you can edit its configuration by selecting the device from the device list and clicking Edit. For example, when the device is added, it is configured not to start at boot time by default. Edit its configuration to modify this setting. Compression, PPP options, login name, password, and more can also be changed.

When the device is added, it is not activated, as seen by its Inactive status. To activate the device, select it from the device list, and click the Activate button.