What modems work with Ubuntu?

[Chanchao]

On Mon, 2006-02-06 at 10:23 +0200, Billy Verreynne (JW) wrote:

> > Ideally I would like Ubuntu to just recognize and use
> > any Winmodems/softmodems it finds. It does it for all
> > other hardware, so why not modems? 
> 
> Winmodems are not proper hardware. A lot of what should be done in the
> hardware side, is not - and relegated to a software driver. Unlike
> standard "proper" modem h/w.

Well, proper hardware or not, they're currently the most cost effective
ways for computers to get online over standard telephone lines. Give it
another year and it will not just be 'cost effective', it will be the
ONLY way to get online over standard telephone lines.  (As serial ports
disappear from computers and the market for 'proper hardware modems'
becomes smaller, these devices will be few and far in between and will
cost serious money.

Proper or not, it's what computers will be equipped with. Ubuntu will
either work with them or be left behind; it's been done before. 

> The bottom line is that a winmodem is useless hardware without the
> software driver. The driver now contains the "modem's brains" -
> without the driver the modem cannot be used. 

Without printer drivers, printers cannot be used.  It was a struggle,
but Ubuntu now works with most printers.
> 
> Whose problem is it? Ubuntu's? Linux?

Yes.  As it is always, for any hardware.  I don't like it either. It's
not Ubuntu's fault, but it IS it's problem. (Or the user's problem,
rather)

> If the hardware manufacturer selects to move processing logic from the
> hardware into a software driver, and not make that driver available to
> -you- for the o/s that you are running, how can it be a Linux problem?
> 
You're confusing 'being at fault' with being a problem. If a user cannot
connect to the internet, you bet that's a problem.  And I see signs that
the usual "Just buy new, 'proper' hardware that IS compatible" won't
work forever as old style hardware modems won't be made anymore, or will
be VERY expensive niche equipment

> Microsoft does not supply the driver. The h/w vendor does.  So why
> then expect Linux (the o/s) to support the hardware when even Windows
> (the o/s) does not?
> 
Because users want to connect to the internet, and all they have is
softmodems. 

Cheers,
Chanchao