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Getting a software modem to work under Ubuntu Linux on an Acer Aspire 3500

Automated disclaimer: This post was written more than 15 years ago and I may not have looked at it since.

Older posts may not align with who I am today and how I would think or write, and may have been written in reaction to a cultural context that no longer applies. Some of my high school or college posts are just embarrassing. However, I have left them public because I believe in keeping old web pages alive—and it's interesting to see how I've changed.

Problem
I have an Acer Aspire 3500 running Ubuntu Linux, and I occasionally need to use the modem. Unfortunately, the Acer uses a winmodem (softmodem), which is not well supported by linux (because it isn't a true modem).
Solution
  1. To locate the appropriate software, I needed to know what chipset my modem used. I used linmodems.org's scanModem utility.
    1. Download scanModem.gz to a working directory.
    2. Extract the gzipped file.
    3. On the command line, change the permissions to allow execution of the script: chmod +x scanModem
    4. I don't know what this does, but you have to do it: sudo modprobe snd-intel8x0m
    5. Run the script: ./scanModem
    6. Don't worry about all the output, just go to the newly created Modem folder. Open ModemData.txt, and scan through for information like "Your modem supports the _____ codec" or "Use a _____ driver". In my case, some text halfway through the ModemData.txt file instructed me to get the hsfmodem driver from linuxant.com. There was also an additional file called Conexant.txt detailing HSF modems. If you can't figure it out, subscribe to the linmodems discussion list and send them ModemData.txt and a very nice request for help.

  2. If, like myself, you have a Conexant chipset modem, the following instructions may be of some use.

    Conexant is a manufacturer of softmodems. Linuxant has a contract allowing them access to Conexant's source code and technical information, so they can write software to support the modems under Linux.

    If you have a working ethernet or wireless connection on the machine that needs the modem drivers, use Conexant's online installer. Otherwise, you'll need to download and install the drivers manually.

    • If you are using the online installation:
      1. If you agree to the terms of the license, download the HSF softmodem driver.
      2. Run the cnxtinstall.run file and follow the instructions.
    • If you are installing manually:
      1. Don't bother with the version-specific downloads -- get the generic package with source from the Linuxant HSF downloads page. I use Debian, so I picked the DPKG version.
      2. Download and extract the zip file.
      3. Go to the command line and navigate to the extracted folder.
      4. Before you can install the package, you need to have installed linux-headers-386: sudo apt-get install linux-headers-386
      5. Install the package: sudo dpkg -i hsfmodem_7.47.00.01full_i386.deb
      6. You will be prompted for some configuration information. I just hit enter at each prompt to accpet the default, except for the email address prompt, where I entered my actual email address. They won't spam you.

Responses: 2 so far Feed icon

  1. #11542 | Friday, February 9th, 2007 at 12:59 (EST)

    Björn says:

    Thank you very much for this instruction!!! It works well with my Acer Travelmate 2492 which also uses a HSF "softmodem".

  2. #11599 | Friday, February 9th, 2007 at 21:06 (EST)

    Tim McCormack says:

    Glad I could help, Björn.

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