PCTel HSP MicroModem Configuration mini-HOWTO
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9. Appendix

9.1. A sample script file to load the modules.

#! /bin/bash

/sbin/insmod /lib/modules/`uname -r`/misc/pctel.o

/sbin/insmod /lib/modules/`uname -r`/misc/ptserial.o

# end file

You can save this file as modemon and then isuue the commands

bash$ chmod 700 modemon

bash$ cp modemon /usr/bin/modemon

Now, whenever you type in the command bash$ modemon , the modules will get loaded automatically

9.2. Web Resources

There are a number of websites, mailing lists that may help you while you try to configure your modem.

9.2.1. Web sites

The unofficial pctel linux driver site at http://www.medres.ch/~jstifter/pctel/

The linmodem site (the mother page of all linmodem projets) at http://www.linmodems.org

A huge lists of lin/winmodems at http://www.idir.net/~gromitkc/winmodem.html

A list of AT commands from PCTel at http://www.pctel.com/atcommands_dev.htm

The linmodem-howto is available at http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/Linmodem-HOWTO.html.

9.2.2. Mailing lists

The most important mailing list for linmodems is

You can subscribe to that list by going to รก

http://www.linmodems.org or by sending a blank e-mail to .

9.3. Other drivers that are available

I have seen a number of modem manufacturers (Dax, Zoltrix, Lectron, Tiacom etc) providing linux drivers for their modems that have PCTel chip sets.

Actually most (if not all) of these drivers are slightly modified form of the drivers at Jan's and the modems.dewback.cl site, and so, in most cases, there is no point in downloading them.

Moreover, in the early days of 2.4x kernels, Thomas Wright had made a PCTel driver and you can find it in his website at http://www.geocities.com/tom_in_rc/.

9.4. Identifying the chip set of the modem

Well, the best way to identify the chip set of your modem is to open up the cabinet of the machine., gently pull out the modem from it's slot (only if it is not integrated into your motherboard), and see the name printed on the black chip on the modem. (be very very careful while doing these, and make sure that all power supplies to the system is disconnected, and touch the ground/a metallic surface before handling any of the circuitry/wires in the machine). But sometimes, this is not possible and so you will have to adopt other methods.

The next best method is to run the command

bash$ lspci -n

This command will give you the numeric PCI id of your modem (you may have to run bash$ lspci to crosscheck the device id) and you will have to submit the number at http://www.yourvote.com/pci/ Here you may or may not get the exact name of the chip set you have.

If you do not get the name, you can go through the database at http://www.idir.net/~gromitkc/winmodem.html#drivers and search for an entry on your modem.

You can also ask at the local LUGs or ask your friends or even (a bad way, no doubt), ask the support personnel of your modem manufacturer.

9.5. GNU Free Documentation License

Version 1.1, March 2000

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