SDB:Configuring ISDN Correctly in SUSE LINUX 9.1

From openSUSE

Version: 9.1

Symptom

When you boot the system, you get a message indicating that ISDN (ippp0) could not be started.
When you attempt to dial up with Kinternet, you get a message saying that smpppd has not been started or you are not in the group dialout.

Cause

A wrongly set start mode in the configuration of the interface.

Procedure

Note the following:

• When configuring an internal ISDN card, the start mode should be set to onboot in order to make sure that the driver is loaded when the system is booted. For USB or PCMCIA cards, the start mode should be set to hotplug (default setting).
  
• When configuring the interface, the preferred start mode is manual.
  
• If the password query is activated, the start mode for the interface must be set to manual, as Kinternet will only establish a connection to the interface after a password is entered!
  
• To configure automatic dial-up, the following interface options can be used:
  
  1. The password for the provider must be saved.
     
  2. If you want the system to dial up after it boots, the start mode must be set to onboot.
     
  3. If a USB or PCMCIA device is used for the automatic dial-up, the start mode must be set to hotplug. onboot does not work with these devices.
     
  4. If you want an automatic dial-up that can be deactivated and that is initially inactive after the system boots, the start mode must be set to manual. The automatic dial-up can then be activated with Kinternet.
     

smpppd may not have been activated in the default runlevels due to an incorrect configuration. This can be checked with the YaST Runlevel Editor or in a console (with root permissions).

To do this, enter the command

chkconfig smpppd

If the output is

smpppd off

activate it with the command

insserv smpppd

If the output is

smpppd on

smpppd is active, and nothing needs to be changed.

The system may need to be rebooted if you changed the configuration repeatedly.