Xircom pcmcia Ethernet /56k modem

Forum: Networking
Topic: Xircom pcmcia Ethernet /56k modem
started by: Delboy

Posted by Delboy on June 14 2005,14:59

I have had a multifunction ethernet / 56k modem card (Xircom pcmcia 'Creditcard Ethernet10/100 + 56k' , model ref.- 'CEM56-100') for a long time now but never really tried it. I would like to get it working just for modem - not networking.
My set-up: 1995 Digital Hi-note VP500 notebook with 133mhz and 40MB ram, no network. Two pcmcia slots for either type 1 or 2 cards or double type 3. Damnsmall V.1.2 hard disk installed. I have used DSL on this machine with an external serial modem and pppconfig. without any problems for a year and a half. This modem is dying on me and I want to get this pcmcia adaptor working in its place - (Both the ethernet 10/100 and the dialup 56k work in PUPPY linux according to thier wiki hardware pages.)
I have searched the forums and other sites which was helpful to an extent.
On boot:
Hardware configuration recognizes the card and required driver.
".....modprobe Xircom CEM56 etc."
".....modprobe serial_cs"
".....modprobe xirc2ps_cs" but then:
".....get dev info on socket 0_failed: no such device." This last line is the killer.
During this process here is a high pitched beep followed by a lower pitched one. A good sign?

What I have tried:
No amount of trying different /dev/ttyS0, S1, S2...etc. - S4 settings in pppconfig. works (using the same ISP details as those which worked before).
Bios: Serial port is set to COM1. The laptop manual gives COM1 as having 3f8h-IRQ4 set as default.
Running "cardinfo" confirms all of the correct Card and driver references. IRQ is given at IRQ3, dev as "eth0", port information as, 0x300-0x30f, 0x2e8-0x2ef. Socket is "0".
So then I have added the line "include 0x300-0x30f, 0x2e8-0x2ef in my ./etc/pcmcia/config.opts file.
As COM 4 in the notebook manual is also given settings of 2e8h-IRQ3, I have set pppconfig. to serial port /dev/ttyS3.
The line "#:/dev/ modem" is the option in my ./opt/ppp/peers/provider file.

Still no luck pppdialing -out:- the log messages have a line (before ones with 'kill' or 'exit')
saying that "...device ttyS0 (etc.) is locked by pid 1018" the pid number changes sometimes I think.
Do I have to load a driver manually?
Tried pppoe - scan result said "access concentrator was not responding".
The solution seems frustatingly near but hidden to me.

Posted by Oostertoaster on June 16 2005,12:03

can you check your process list and see which process the PID is referring to? that could be helpful.

type
ps -ax

in a shell.

Posted by Delboy on June 17 2005,10:16

Thanks for responding - don't go away!
I tried pc -ax last night and the list of PIDs given didn't include to the the one referred to in the blocking message or, in another pppdial message, the blocking PID was the same as serial port ttyS3 I had configured for ppp (?!). I have however progressed this a bit (lot?) more :
I reset the Bios setting for serial port to COM4 (which includes the 0x2e8-0x2ef I/O range which shows up when I run "cardinfo.") I also cleared out a range of /dev/ttyS0,1,2, lines in my etc/peers/ppp/provider files. Lo and behold; when I reboot, the recognition and autoconfiguration messages for the adaptor card continues past
".....modprobe xirc2ps_cs" this time and completes by the look of it with a "done" message. When I run pppdial I now get the same stack of short connection lines in the messages shell that I used to get with my external serial modem.
Being work at the moment, I will tinker blindly further when I get home.

Posted by andrewphoto on June 22 2005,11:43

Howdy Delboy,
Just thought I'd let you know that the Xircom Realport does work. First time I tried it it didn't, but it had been in a box in a cold barn for ages, cold and dusty. Got it up to room temperature, cotton buds & meths. Modem was standard issue with Toshiba Satellite 320CDT. I put the modem in my Satellite 2800-200 (Oct. 2000, PIII-m, 700mhz,) DSL 1.2, and it worked 'out of the box.' At boot it came up as, xirc2ps_cs driver, cem56, ttyS3. Note: I have a 'newer' built in modem which didn't come up. Didn't 'auto' find in PPP, and I manually entered ttyS3. Bang, on the www.
Regards & Best Wishes, andyp.

Posted by Delboy on June 24 2005,12:56

Hi andrewphoto.
Yeah this CEM56 10/100 credit card adaptor was sold to me 2nd hand as 'linux compatible' about two years ago when I first started dabbling with linux (Vector). It seemed a bad idea after I realised I didn't have a clue what to do. I couldn't even get it working with win95, or 98 - the installation 'manual' for windows ran to a dozen pages! So this also has been gathering dust in a cupboard for that length of time. I still don't know what I am doing but I HAVE GOT IT WORKING! Since my last post, I did this:
1) As my serial port was set in the Bios at COM 1, my cardinfo command gave me the pcmcia card as ttyS3 (com 4) so I then went back into the Bios and changed serial port to COM4.
2) After a reboot, 'Cardinfo' again confirmed all of the correct Card and driver references. IRQ was given at IRQ3, dev as "eth0" but now ttyS4, port information as, 0x300-0x30f, 0x2e8-0x2ef. Socket is "0".
3) I changed 'pppconfig' /dev/ serial setting to ttyS4
4) I changed the line "#:/dev/modem" to "#:/dev/ttyS4" as the option in my ./opt/ppp/peers/provider file.
5) I kept my previously added line "include 0x300-0x30f, 0x2e8-0x2ef" in my ./etc/pcmcia/config.opts file.
6) Rebooted to be greeted with what looks like a seemless knoppix hardware recognition and autoconfiguration sequence.
7) pppdial worked first time and repeatedly (Tiscali UK payasyougo) with no funny business in the ppp messages, (only problem is that this tiny card makes enough noise to wake the dead - I HAVE GOT to quieten it down).
Blimmin' marvellous.

Posted by andrewphoto on July 04 2005,14:59

I have to roll up a small towel to muffle the speakers when I click dial!
This modems' worked for a couple of weeks, but now it's given up the goat. I noticed that it got extremely f..king hot, which I didn't like.
Main thing it's 2 pcmcia cards thick, no vent, locked in a fixed confined space, i.e. 2 slots.
I've bought a 3com Megahertz 56K Global Modem PC Card 3CCM156-B off ebay today.
It's only one slot thin, bit of air space, and newer technology.
I am inclined to think it's gonna work out of the box no sweat.

Posted by Delboy on July 05 2005,15:55

Good luck.
My wife was close to throwing the laptop across the room because of the noise when pppdial was on then I found out from the manual that holding down the Fn 'function' key and using the down arrow key turned the sound right down / off.

Posted by andrewphoto on July 06 2005,11:26

Delboy,
My 3com replacement works no sweat. Although it's in the same slot, but is now com0 instead of com3.

THANKS for the sound advice!
The 3com is louder than the Xircom!

Best Regards, andyp. (A Yonner, that's somebody from Oldham.)