SOLVED: kinternet - no name server found w/ dial-up

English Network/Internet
1

Hi,
I’m new to openSUSE and yesterday I managed to multi-boot successfully with version 11.1 for 64 bit processor (live cd).

I have a MultiTech multimodem-usb (MT5634ZBA-USB)and have it running fine in two other LINUX distros using KPPP as well as wvdial.
To try and get it working in SUSE, I went to YaST administrative tools for network devices (I think that was section, as I have to recall from memory or write it down since I can’t connect from openSUSE, so bear with me) and chose modem and it detected the modem correctly as ttyACM0. My isp uses a dynamic address, and that is what is ticked in ISP information. Default Route is also ticked, though I’m unsure what that setting is for. I enter the phone number, the authorization name (ex. me@myispdotnet) and pretty much choose the default settings for the rest of the modem and provider set up. It shows kernel interface: modem 0. I let YaST finish configuring it, and I see kinternet icon and click on it and it dials up successfully, all lights on my modem are lit up, the icon plug is joined, and I can see it try to ping but fails (I can’t surf in konqueror or firefox). When I look at kinternet log, it states
name server failure
no name server found in /etc/resolv.conf

I know how to use wvdial so I tried that alternative dial up tool and it also says name server not found.

I tried adding the SUSE nameservers in the network device set up GUI as it has a place to add two nameservers, but when I did that, the modem wouldn’t dial out.

When I logged back into openSUSE, there was no kinternet icon in the bottom toolbar, so I clicked on kinternet under applications, and it said:
Error Kinternet
Connection to local and remote server refused. Maybe your smppd is not running or you are not a member of group dial out.
I went to YaST>system services and smppd enabled yes.
I also checked user settings and I am a member of group for dialout. That is the only group I am a member of as I didn’t want to change anything there, not yet. I tried reconfiguring my modem again to see if I could get kinternet up and running, but it wouldn’t show up in the bottom bar and the error above would show whenever I clicked on kinternet under applications.

The only how to I found was this, but I don’t know how to edit a read-only file in openSUSE. I’m familair with kdesu and gksu, but not using vi to edit a read only file.

Any help with this problem would be appreciated, as I have been spending hours on this and getting no where. If kppp worked, I’d install it and use it, but I need a connection first to get it. But I guess if wvdial doesn’t work, then kppp won’t either until the nameserver issue is resolved.

Should I edit the resolv.conf file and add the nameservers manually? Again, I’m not sure how to do this as root in openSUSE.

If you need anymore information, I’ll share. I can write it down.

Thanks so much for your time!
Regards, Orba

2

Just been reading this and gotta go to work, so in the meantime have a look at configuring a typical broadband thing with kinternet etc.
Here’s a few:
Wireless HSDPA broadband in Suse/openSUSE Using Nokia 6120 Mobile Phone as Modem on Three Mobile Australia
Wireless broadband in Suse/openSUSE for Bigpond Next G Network (HSDPA-enabled bp3-usb)
It sounds like for you it would be straightforward — no dmesg, insmod or modprobes required. But in the screenshots there should be a place to insert the Name Servers. Like on this one with a bit of fiddling there are slots for name Servers: http://www.swerdna.net.au/nextg/nextg6.png

3

orba wrote:
> name server failure
> no name server found in /etc/resolv.conf

Dialup/smpppd/kinternet didn’t work well together with NetworkManager,
resulting in successfull dialin, but a missing DNS server entry in that
file. Disable NetworkManager completely and try again. Note that I had
this behaviour on 11.0 and did not pursue the issue further.

Kind regards,
Andreas Stieger

4

Hi swernda and Andreas,

Thanks for your quick help replies! I appreciate it. Sorry to say I haven’t had time to look over the DSL modem link you listed, swernda, but I will later today. I did try adding the two nameservers to the GUI fields as you suggested in YaST, but the modem wouldn’t even dial out after that.

I went ahead and reinstalled openSUSE in case I did too much fiddling that messed things up. Like I mentioned, upon reboot, I couldn’t even get Kinternet to come up anymore. I tried to figure out how to disable Network Manager, and the only thing I could figure out there was to ‘quit’ it in the toolbar, but that isn’t disabling it. I thought of deleting it from the software package tool, but I didn’t want to do that as it had many dependencies. Sorry, couldn’t figure out how to simply disable it.

The good news is that I tried something and I am now able to surf the internet. I haven’t reinstalled openSUSe yet, but wanted to fiddle with settings in the LiveCD first, just to see if I could at least get wvdial to work without getting the “no name server” in the terminal output. I finally figured that one can edit files as root using kdesu kwrite, so that was where I started altering and trying different settings in the wvdial.conf file, and nothing worked there, so I set it back to the default settings, then changed one setting in ppp/options (removed # from nodfaultroute), but that didn’t work and I set it back to default and then I was tempted to manually add the two name servers to the resolv.conf file, but when I opened the resolv.conf file, and after reading this:

Before you change this file manually, consider to define the

static DNS configuration using the following variables in the

/etc/sysconfig/network/config file:

NETCONFIG_DNS_STATIC_SEARCHLIST

NETCONFIG_DNS_STATIC_SERVERS

NETCONFIG_DNS_FORWARDER

or disable DNS configuration updates via netconfig by setting:

NETCONFIG_DNS_POLICY=’’

Wow, there’s a lot of choices in this file, so
I decided to look over the different options there. I went ahead and tried the suggestion in that link I listed above, about changing “auto” to Netconfig_DNS_Policy=“ppp* NetworkManager”, but I still got the same name server error in wvdial.
I then changed NetworkManager"yes" to “no”, and that didn’t help,
Then I added to Netconfig_DNS_Static_servers=“209.172.0.5” and this is what did the trick for me. Wvdial output says
“Script /etc/ppp/ip-up run successful
Default route Ok.
Nameserver (DNS) Ok.
Connected”
Now when I look at /etc/resolv.conf there is an entry like this:

Please remove (at least) this line when you modify the file!

nameserver 209.172.0.5

If this is all I need to do, then this will be acceptable. But, how should I add the second name server, as in the syntax? Like this?
Netconfig_DNS_Static_servers="209.172.0.5"“209.172.0.8”
I could fiddle with this and see, but not certain if I need to add a coma or put it on a second line, or separate it by a space, etc.

I must go for now and will give it more a thorough going over.

One thing I do no like is using root to dial with wvdial. I have to
su
and then wvdial to dial out. Later today I will try setting up the modem via YaST>Network Devices>Modem and see if I can get a connection, after I edit the sysconfig/network/config file.

Truth be told, I have never had much success using NetworkManager with any land line modem I have used (all external). I think the last time I used it successfully was when I tried ubuntu feisty fawn or the version before that. NetworkManager seems more geared to people who have a constant connection, like broadband, and they have many complaints from people like me who rely on dial-up.

Again, thanks for your precious time!
Regards, Orba

5

Network Manager can be disabled in Yast: go to Network Devices → Network Settings → Globa Options → Network Setup Methods → Traditional method with ifup (instead of Network Manager).

Then you ought to be able to configure the 56K modem as you suggested, via yast → Network Devices —> Modem, hopefully without interference from NM.

PS Probably already you have these but I’ll reiterate:

  • Check you have these RPMs installed: ppp, udev, smpppd, wvdial, Kinternet
  • And that you arrange for the kinternet icon to appear in the systray
  • And that you check the smpppd daemon is running and is configured to start when booting. Goto Yast → System → System Services (runlevels) → smpppd enabled=yes
6

Hi swerdna,

That is a good check list. I did get the last one verified (smpppd enabled) after reading from another person’s post concerning modem problems. There was also mentioned of ipv6 (sp?), but if I’m able to surf now, I suppose my isp uses this protocol, so no need to disable it.

I’m glad to have the live disk to try other things to see if they work. I should have done this originally, instead of installing right away.

I’m on line again, this time, I didn’t set up wvdial but set up the modem and provider through YaST>Network Devices. When I first tried this after install, I must have screwed up something somewhere because I could no longer get kinternet up and running. This time I was able to and this time I added the two name servers in the GUI that Andreas shared a screenshot of. That still did not work - not able to ping.

What I then did was kdesu kwrite and opened up the sysconfig/network/config file and in the following section:

# Instead of the usual network setup (now called 'NetControl') you may also use
# 'NetworkManager' to control your interfaces.
#
# NetControl is what you were used to in SUSE Linux up to now. It has a wide
# range of configurations means for setting up any number of different virtual
# and real interfaces. It should be used if you:
# - want a static network setup
# - have many interfaces
# - need VLAN, bonding, bridging, multiple IP addresses
# - must restrict network control to root
# It may also switch interfaces automatically, but lacks a usable GUI for normal
# users.
#
# NetworkManager lets the user control interfaces and switches automatically if
# network interfaces lose/gain physical connection. It should be used if you:
# - move between networks frequently
# - want a GUI for network control
# Especially on mobile computers that use mainly one wired and one wireless
# interface NetworkManager will please you.
#
# If you are used to SCPM then you might probably stay with NetControl. But at
# least try NetworkManager, because it can replace SCPM in some usage scenarios.
# 
NETWORKMANAGER=yes

I changed it to “networkmanager=no” and saved the file and then connected with Kinternet and was able to surf. So, I guess this would be another way to disable network manager. I tried this yesterday, but as I said, I somehow could no longer get Kinternet up and running and so was not able to verify if this setting would have any effect. I checked the resolv.conf file and both name servers were automatically added. Hurrah!

I can try your method, too. I’ve never heard of ifup. Time to look it up…but first, I want to install openSUSE, now that I have a bit of a feel for the operating system, and can get dial up working.

Regards! Again, thank you for your time in helping me!
Orba

7

You confronted the beast and slew it – well done!

8

Ha! yeah, I guess I wounded it…:wink:

Cheers!

Well, this is solved, but I can’t edit the original post to mark it as such.

9

I know this is marked solved, but had to add two more comments.

Firstly, while using the live CD and after getting dial out to work as mentioned above, I then clicked on Install. After the installation was completed, I logged in, and wow, I didn’t have to re-set up my modem, provider and Kinternet - as these settings were saved during the install process. I thought that was neat!

Secondly, another way to do what I did above without having to know how to use “kdesu kwrite (file)edit,save” is to go to YaST Control Centre>System>/etc/sysconfig Editor>Network>General>NetworkManager and there’s a GUI interface to change from default “yes” to “no”. I thought I’d mention this as it is a much simpler way to “skin the rabbit”. :slight_smile: as well as they way you mentioned.
I’m having fun exploring the different cubby holes and settings in openSUSE!

10

Then I must comment on your comment.

In fact, this should the preferred way to make advanced settings for several sysconfig-related features.

You used this tool exactly for what it was made for (and the sysconfig-editor is one of the most powerful tools YaST is offering you), so you “skinned the rabbit” like a professional hunter.

11

Hi Akoellh,
Agreed!
Oh, as to changing default “yes” to “no” for networkmanager as mentioned in my post, I decided to see if I could still leave networkmanager enabled and do what I was trying to do, via the terminal, and manually adding the two nameservers. I went to
YaST Control Centre>System>/etc/sysconfig Editor>Network>General>NetworkManager and changed my setting “no” back to default “yes” and then closed that to update the settings. Then went back in, went to YaST Control Centre>System>/etc/sysconfig Editor>Network>General>Netconfig_DNS_Static_Servers and in the setting field added the two nameservers as mentioned above with a space between the two and that solved the problem as well.
Orba

12

Hi orba,

Your explanations have been such great help to me. I am so much dependent on Graphical Interfaces for any configuration. I am using Suse for a long time, but only for browsing purposes. I have been using Wired or Wireless Internet Connections. Some how unable to configure, Reliance NetConnect CDMA Modem (USB Stick).

I am so much thrilled to make it work.

Thank you, Thank you…very much.

Regards
Narahari

13

Millions - nay - billions of thanks gentlemen. I was struggling with my new modem for over four days. Thanks to you and prototype777: Wireless USB Broadband or Mobile Broadband on Linux Rocks!, I have now resolved the issue.

Although I am not exactly new to Susie, I have not dabbled much with the innards. Now, I wonder, since I have disabled the NM, the next hotel I check into (and I do that fairly frequently), how do I connect to their wi5? Do I enable the NM again? In other words, do I keep toggling between enabled and disabled states or is there some other way?

Anyway, this is a major weight off my head.

Thanks again

14

Although I am not exactly new to Susie, I have not dabbled much with the innards. Now, I wonder, since I have disabled the NM, the next hotel I check into (and I do that fairly frequently), how do I connect to their wi5? Do I enable the NM again? In other words, do I keep toggling between enabled and disabled states or is there some other way?

Yes, in this case, that’s what would be required.

Are you sure that you need kinternet to connect with your mobile broadband device? For the most-part, the network manager can handle these devices with no issue.