FAQ

Questions:

1) I have an HCF modem. Can I use these drivers?
2) My modem's PCI ID is 127a:1025 or 127a:2005 and it doesn't work.
3) My dialer or Internet connection wizard does not find the modem, even though 
no errors were reported during installation and /dev/ttySHSF0 exists.
4) I installed the driver, and now the /dev/ttySHSF0 or /dev/modem device is 
supposed to be there but it doesn't exist.
5) The modem returns "NO DIALTONE" when I try to dial.
6) The modem works, but I can't hear anything when dialing.
7) What is a good initialization string to use with my modem?
8) The modem returns CONNECT messages with bogus connection speeds, like 
"CONNECT 9600" or "CONNECT 115200".
9) Is the message about the kernel being tainted upon loading the modules 
normal?
10) Changing serial port parameters with "setserial" on ttySHSF0 or /dev/modem 
doesn't work.
11) I have an ACPI-based machine and the driver is crashing or not loading.
12) My modem doesn't work, or dials irregularly and sometimes it doesn't 
transmit all the tones from the phone number.
13) The modem disconnects or the system crashes as soon as or shortly after I 
start the graphical desktop (X, GNOME, KDE, etc..) or use the sound card.
14) My modem suddenly disconnects. What can potentially cause this?
15) rpm -i gives me this error: "Failed dependencies: pciutils is needed by ..."
16) hsfconfig gives me this error: "lspci: command not found"
17) How can I tell if my driver is working or not?
18) What should I do if my driver is not working?
19) Modules crash upon loading or refuse to load due to a wrong compiler 
version.
20) Where does hsfconfig look for the kernel sources?
21) I'm having problems uninstalling the RPM package.
22) What does "warning: ...rpm: V3 DSA signature: NOKEY, key ID 5dfbf7dc" mean?
23) Is V.92 supported?
24) Is FAX supported?
25) Is VOICE supported?
26) Do you support other operating systems (eg. BeOS, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, etc.)?
27) Do you plan on releasing a Linux driver for Conexant ADSL chipsets?


Answers:

1) I have an HCF modem. Can I use these drivers?

	No, these drivers are only for the Conexant HSF (softmodem)
	family, not for the HCF (controllerless) chips.

	HCF drivers are available from http://www.linuxant.com/drivers/hcf/


2) My modem's PCI ID is 127a:1025 or 127a:2005 and it doesn't work.

	You probably should try both the HCF and HSF drivers, until
	one works. Some early modems are incorrectly identified (HCF as HSF
	and vice-versa) in some versions of the PCI ID lists used by lspci and
	the linux kernel. Also, a few modem vendors have tried to save costs
	by omitting the EEPROM where device IDs are stored, causing the same
	default ID built into the bus interface chip to be used for both HCF
	and HSF devices.


3) My dialer or Internet connection wizard does not find the modem, even though 
no errors were reported during installation and /dev/ttySHSF0 exists.

	You might want to try entering "/dev/modem" manually for the
	modem device. Also, verify that "/dev/modem" is a symbolic link
	pointing to ttySHSF0. If it is not the case, you can try
	re-creating it with the command:

	rm -f /dev/modem; ln -s ttySHSF0 /dev/modem


4) I installed the driver, and now the /dev/ttySHSF0 or /dev/modem device is 
supposed to be there but it doesn't exist.

	On devfs-based systems (such as Mandrake), the missing device node
	is often a sign that the driver modules didn't load or initialize
	properly. Try "modprobe /dev/ttySHSF", then check the /var/log/messages
	file or run "dmesg" to see any kernel error messages that could provide
	a clue as to why loading of the driver failed.


5) The modem returns "NO DIALTONE" when I try to dial.

	Please verify your line cord and country settings
	(with hsfconfig --country).
	If they are correct and the "NO DIALTONE" problems persist, you
	may try disabling dialtone detection with the "ATX3" command.

	If this still doesn't work, there might be a more serious problem
	with the machine, driver or its configuration. The cause might be ACPI
	or APIC related (see FAQ items about these topics; try booting
	with "acpi=off" and/or "noapic" kernel options) or incorrect
	RELAYS or FLAGS definitions in the INF file for your modem.
	You might want to try importing the original values for these
	parameters from your modem's original Windows driver. If this
	solves the problem or it persists, please tell us about it.


6) The modem works, but I can't hear anything when dialing.

	Please verify the Ln and Mn settings with the AT&V command. They
	should be L1 and M1.
	If not, change them with the command: ATL1M1

	If you still cannot hear any call progress sounds, and use a
	modem model that does not have its own speaker (such as on a notebook),
	verify your audio mixer settings (using aumix or equivalent utility) to
	ensure that the volume levels are high enough and that the "PCM"
	and "PhoneIn" channels are not muted.

	With the HSF driver it is also possible to play call progress sounds
	through the sound card. This requires that the system's audio driver be
	properly configured. If other audio applications work but you still 
cannot
	hear call progress sounds, examine the /usr/sbin/hsfdcpd script.


7) What is a good initialization string to use with my modem?

	The following initialization string, which resets the modem to factory
	settings, should cover most situations:

	AT &F


8) The modem returns CONNECT messages with bogus connection speeds, like 
"CONNECT 9600" or "CONNECT 115200".

	Use "ATW1" to enable reporting of line speed, error correction
	protocol and DTE speed. See the command set reference manual
	(100498D_RM_HxF_Released.pdf) for details.


9) Is the message about the kernel being tainted upon loading the modules 
normal?

	Yes, and it can be safely ignored.


10) Changing serial port parameters with "setserial" on ttySHSF0 or /dev/modem 
doesn't work.

	Since this modem driver provides a virtual serial interface, which
	is not directly connected to a physical UART like a normal serial
	port, it is not possible and would not make sense to configure
	it with "setserial". Therefore you shouldn't use this command
	on the ports associated with this driver.


11) I have an ACPI-based machine and the driver is crashing or not loading.

	It might be necessary to recompile a generic kernel from
	ftp.kernel.org with the latest ACPI (and perhaps also KACPID
	kernel lost interrupt) patches from http://sf.net/projects/acpi/

	Alternatively you could try the 2.6 development kernel, which has
	better ACPI support. However we cannot guarantee that the drivers
	will work with development kernels since they are constantly evolving.


12) My modem doesn't work, or dials irregularly and sometimes it doesn't 
transmit all the tones from the phone number.

	This problem might be ACPI-related or caused by a timing issue related
	to the APIC timer module in some Linux kernels (usually SMP kernels).
	You can verify if your kernel is using APIC by looking for the line
	"ENABLING IO-APIC IRQs" when you run the "dmesg" command.

	If you experience this problem, try disabling ACPI and/or
	the APIC by booting your kernel with the option "acpi=off" and/or
	the option "noapic".


13) The modem disconnects or the system crashes as soon as or shortly after I 
start the graphical desktop (X, GNOME, KDE, etc..) or use the sound card.

	Some users have reported conflicts between certain sound card drivers,
	(especially AC97 devices) and our modem drivers. Most graphical
	desktops access sound devices when starting up.

	We are investigating these problems and are hoping to find solutions
	soon. Meanwhile, we recommend disabling any conflicting modules while
	you use the modem. If you experience a conflict, please report it.


14) My modem suddenly disconnects. What can potentially cause this?

	An idle timer, bad connection, noise on the line,
	call waiting, driver bug, incorrect NVM parameters,
	overloaded system can all be potential causes for
	sudden disconnections.

	If you use the modem for an IP connection, try running a "ping"
	in the background to keep the connection active.

	If the problem persists, please send us detailed
	information, including the output of
	"cat /proc/driver/h*/0/lastcallstatus"
	captured just after the connection was lost.


15) rpm -i gives me this error: "Failed dependencies: pciutils is needed by ..."

	You need to install the pciutils package before installing the
	driver. This package contains "lspci" which is used by hsfconfig
	to detect your card. 

	pciutils should be installed from your Linux distribution CD. If
	your distribution supports RPM, then the install command should be
	similar to this: rpm -i /path/to/rpms/pciutils-....rpm


16) hsfconfig gives me this error: "lspci: command not found"

	hsfconfig requires lspci to detect your card. lspci comes
	with pciutils. We recommend that you install pciutils, but you can also
	configure the device manually. hsfconfig will always fail if you
	try to use the "-a" option without pciutils installed.

	pciutils should be installed from your Linux distribution CD. If
	your distribution supports RPM, then the install command should be
	similar to this: rpm -i /path/to/rpms/pciutils-....rpm


17) How can I tell if my driver is working or not?

	The easiest way to test your modem driver installation is to use a
	terminal software like minicom. You should set the port to /dev/modem
	or /dev/ttySHSF0. Once you have established a connection with the modem,
	you can try to reset it by using the "ATZ" command. The modem should
	answer "OK" to this command. Please refer to the
	AT Command Set Reference Manual for the complete list of available
	commands. You will find a link for the manual on our web site,
	at the bottom of the driver's description section.

	If you can communicate with the modem, then you should try to dial
	a known valid number (eg. your ISP's number) with the command ATDT
	followed by the phone number.

	This procedure allows you to verify the driver's basic functionality
	without involving a complex software like a PPP dialer.


18) What should I do if my driver is not working?

	First, you should verify if the modules are loaded by the kernel with
	the command "lsmod". You should see at least hsfengine and hsfserial.

	If the modules do not appear, try to load them with "modprobe
	/dev/ttySHSF". If you still don't see them with "lsmod", look at the
	file /var/log/messages and the output from the command "dmesg" for
	clues on why the modules failed to load.


19) Modules crash upon loading or refuse to load due to a wrong compiler 
version.

	It is very important that the driver modules be compiled with
	the same compiler version that was used to build your kernel.
	If the wrong version is used (i.e. gcc2 instead of gcc3 or vice-versa)
	the system may crash or refuse to load the modules.

	You can use the command "cat /proc/version" and "gcc -v" to
	check the version strings.


20) Where does hsfconfig look for the kernel sources?

	By default, hsfconfig looks for the symbolic link
	/lib/modules/(kernelversion)/build
	If this link exists and points to a valid directory, then
	hsfconfig will use this directory as the kernel sources'
	location.

	If the link does not exist, hsfconfig will try to use
	/usr/src/linux or /usr/local/src/linux. 

	Please note that if your kernel sources are in /usr/local/src/linux,
	but you also have a /usr/src/linux link pointing to an invalid or empty
	directory, then hsfconfig will try to use /usr/src/linux
	and it will fail.

	It is VERY important that the kernel sources' version match the kernel
	version that you are currently running. If it isn't the case, then
	hsfconfig will report and error.


21) I'm having problems uninstalling the RPM package.

	Try the following command:

	rpm -e --noscripts --force --allmatches hsfmodem

	If the driver prevents your system from starting normally,
	you could try booting in 'single user' or 'failsafe' mode first.


22) What does "warning: ...rpm: V3 DSA signature: NOKEY, key ID 5dfbf7dc" mean?

	Before installing a package, RPM tries to verify its integrity.
	
	The packages distributed by Linuxant are cryptographically
	signed with our public PGP key, which is not known to RPM by
	default. However, it can be found on many keyservers or downloaded from

	http://www.linuxant.com/pubkey.asc

	Once you have downloaded our public key, you can import it in your
	RPM database. You can do this with the following command:

	rpm --import /path/to/pubkey.asc

	After the key has been imported, the NOKEY warning messages should
	disappear.

	Afterward, a package's signature can be verified with the command:

	rpm --checksig /path/to/package.rpm


23) Is V.92 supported?

	The V.92 modulation is supported as well as V.44 compression.
	However, the MOH (Modem On Hold) feature cannot be supported at
	this time because it requires a special application to interface
	with the user. This should be provided in a future release.


24) Is FAX supported?

	Both HCF and HSF drivers now have fax class 1 (+FCLASS=1) and 1.0 
(+FCLASS=1.0)
	support.


25) Is VOICE supported?

	The HCF driver has voice support (+FCLASS=8), but this functionality
	has not been tested a lot and might not work properly.

	We hope to improve it and also add voice support to the HSF driver
	soon.


26) Do you support other operating systems (eg. BeOS, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, etc.)?

	At this time, we only distribute Linux drivers and there
	are currently no plans to support other operating systems.

	However, people interested in porting the drivers to other operating
	systems should contact us.


27) Do you plan on releasing a Linux driver for Conexant ADSL chipsets?

	Linuxant has licensed core technology and hopes to provide
	official Linux drivers for Conexant ADSL chipsets in the future.

	In the meantime, you could take a look at the "other drivers"
	section on the links page at http://www.linuxant.com/drivers/links.php.