damn alcatel speedtouch 330

[looney]

Hi all, I am a complete idiot who has for the past week or so been trying to connect to the internet

I have been trying to connect to the internet without any success whatsoever, I have tried following some of the other threads but
when I type "cd speedtouch-conf" as suggested I just get no such dir
I can only download the mgmt.o and tar.gz files onto windows as I have no way of connecting through knoppix and I suspect this may have something to do with it... Can anyone out there please help as I am keen to learn linux
or should I just stick with windows

[Harry Kuhman]

Hi all, I am a complete idiot who has for the past week or so been trying to connect to the internet...

Since you have an Alcatel Speedtouch, I take it you are on DSL. What I don't know is how you are connectiing to the speedtouch (is it an ethernet connection, USB, a card you had to install in the PC, or something else? Sorry, I don't know all the speedtouch models.)

While you might be able to get non-ethernet configurations working, by far the best way to connect to any high speed connection is through ethernet. This would still leave two issues; making sure that Linux supported the NIC you were using (you gave us no clue on this, but new versions of Knoppix support many chip set based NICs that were not well supported in older versions, and getting PPPoE running. While you should be able to get PPPoE and your NIC running under KNoppix, personally I believe there is a very simple and inexpensive solution that should always be considered when working with high speed Internet connections. I'll duplicate my response to another recent post here:


The absolutely best solution for any broadband user is to spend a very small amount on a DSL/Cable router. These used to cost over $100, but now many can be had for as low as $10 or less (often after rebate). The router will take care of any login or other connection issues and will serve as a DHCP server. You just fire up Knoppix from the CD and (assuming some software company who hates Linux hasn't mucked with your NIC eeprom) Knoppix connects without any extra work on your part.

In addition, a router provides an extra level of firewall, and keeps uninvited and unwanted internet access off your computer, no matter what OS you happen to be running at any moment. Also, almost all home routers include a 4 port switch, which will make it easy to add other computers to a home network or to allow a friend to share your Internet connection and transfer files between you and him if he brings over a notebook. And in the $9.99 to $29.99 price range you can often even get a wireless router, which includes all of the above (including the 4 wired ports) as well as support for wireless connection (wireless connections in Linux and Knoppix are very dependent on the type of wireless card or interface your computer uses; please read the many posts in this forum about wireless access issues before buying a wireless card or just posting yet another "I can't get wireless to work" message).

As to brands, Linksys is one of the best known, but I like the features offered by D-Link better, and their price is much more attractive. Functional but less feature rich than D-Link is the SMC line. Netgear works but has some reasonably significant problems, and Belkin comes in close to or at the bottom.


There can be another issue in getting an ethernet NIC working; I've seen cases of them no longer working under Linux after Microsoft "security updates" have been installed. I have a couple of other threads in this forum where I discuss that and provide some work arounds that have allowed some people to bypass this problem. In such cases, working with a router will certainly help a lot, as it will remove all potential PPPoE and login issues and let you focus entirely on getting the NIC and local network working.

[looney]

ok thanks for help, it is a dsl connection via usb, looks like I am going to have to invest in a router and I will take your advice and lookout for a D-link... I will let you all know how I get on with this, again thankyou Harry for advice

[Harry Kuhman]

ok thanks for help, it is a dsl connection via usb, looks like I am going to have to invest in a router and I will take your advice and lookout for a D-link... I will let you all know how I get on with this, again thankyou Harry for advice

Unfortunately, these routers are intended for use with ethernet connections. If your Alcatel supports only USB than you'll have to find another DSL modem. You DSL supplier might supply one for you (I made sure I got an ethernet modem at the start with mine, but it was a real fight to get it without paying extra). One good approach might be to mention to them that you know if you switched to cable you would get an ethernet based modem and a faster connection, and maybe at a lower price. At this point in time you might even find some friends who have old ethernet DSL modems but who have moved on to broadband cable dervices (I have two friends who's DSL modems are gathering dust for this reason). If your modem does happen to support both USB and Ethernet, then you could certainly try using the Ethernet approach even without a router, but I can't help you with the PPPoE setup, as I have never had to bother with it. I would still suggest geting a router though.

[shah]

looney

You could try:
1) Use kanotix
2) Use kanotix script for Speedtouch DSL USB :
http://kanotix.com/files/

[looney]

I tired the kanotix scripts as suggested by shah everything seemed to be working fine but when I tried to connect by typing: # pppd call speedtouch
nothing happened. I tried opening a browser but still nothing, am I doing anything wrong? has anyone else experienced this and is there a solution..
Hope someone has the answers, thxs guy's