There are several steps involved in setting up your Indy so it can communicate across an ISDN connection. It may take several weeks to set up the connection, depending on how quickly you can obtain the appropriate hardware and services from your local telephone company.
This chapter guides you through all the steps in the process. Be sure to read “Prerequisites for Using ISDN” before any other section; if your situation does not satisfy the prerequisites, you will not be able to use an ISDN connection.
This chapter contains these sections:
An ISDN connection is basically a network connection between two systems that transfers information over a high-speed telephone line rather than an Ethernet cable. Your Indy has the appropriate internal hardware to support ISDN connections, but your situation and location must have these characteristics:
The remote system that you plan to connect to using ISDN must already be set up to use ISDN; that is, it must already have ISDN hardware, software, and services in place. See also “Requirements for Remote ISDN Systems.”
Your system must be geographically located near a telephone switching office that offers ISDN services. Typically your system must be within 2 or 3 miles (3 or 5 kilometers) of such an office. See also “Ordering ISDN Services and Hardware.”
You need a telephone jack. If you have a standard jack that supports only one telephone number, your local telephone company can easily split the jack so it can support both the existing telephone number and a new, dedicated ISDN telephone number.
If you do not have a jack, or you already use two telephone numbers on your existing jack, you can have the telephone company or an electrician install a new telephone wire and jack.
If your situation meets all the prerequisites listed in “Prerequisites for Using ISDN,” you are ready to order your services and hardware.
Contact your telephone company, and go through the list of questions and ordering requests in this section with a person qualified to set up ISDN services.
Make sure your telephone company can provide BRI (Basic Rate Interface) ISDN services to your location. Typically your system must be within 2 or 3 miles (3 or 5 kilometers) of a telephone switching office that offers ISDN.
Tell the telephone company that you want a BRI (not PRI) ISDN connection.
When they ask about the B channels and D channel, tell them:
You want circuit-switched data on both B channels. You do not want X.25 (also called packet-switched data); you do not want voice or any of the additional voice-related services (such as call hold, consultation hold, 3-way conference, etc.).
You want standard signalling on the D channel. You do not want X.25 (also called packet-switched data), or any additional services.
U.S. Customers Only: Ask what type of switch hardware and switch software your telephone company uses. It will be one of four types:
5ESS hardware running 5ESS Custom software
5ESS hardware running 5ESS National ISDN 1 software (also called NI1 software)
DMS100 hardware running BCS level 31, 32, 33, or 34 (Protocol Version 1) software
DMS100 hardware running BCS level 35 or higher (Protocol Version 2) software (also called DMS100 National ISDN 1 or NI1 software).
The telephone company representative may know only the hardware or the software type, but not both. If this is the case, ask the representative to research both the software and hardware types.
U.S. Customers Only: The telephone company will request information about your Indy (they may refer to it as an ISDN terminal, Customer Premise Equipment (CPE), or a Terminal Adapter (TA)). The information they need about the Indy varies depending on the type of switch software the telephone company uses.
Note: Some telephone companies will not require the detail listed here; they will automatically assume you have a type D terminal, which provides you with a superset of the services you need. The list below shows the switch software type and the appropriate information.
5ESS Custom Terminal Type: E
Number of Call Appearances: None
Display: No
Idle Call Appearances: None
Autohold: No
Onetouch: No
No. of Circuit-Switched Data Channels: 2
EKTS: No5ESS NI1 Terminal Type: A
Number of Call Appearances: None
Display: No
Idle Call Appearances: None
Autohold: No
Onetouch: No
No. of Circuit-Switched Data Channels: 2
EKTS: NoDMS100 BCS level 31, 32, 33, or 34 (Protocol Version 1)
Dynamic TEI: Yes
Maximum number of Keys: 3
Ringing Indicator: No
EKTS: NoDMS100 NI1 Dynamic TEI: Yes
Maximum number of Keys: 3
Ringing Indicator: No
EKTS: NoU.S. Customers Only: The telephone company may ask these additional questions:
Does the system have automatic or fixed TEI (Terminal End Identifier)? It has automatic TEI.
Is the system functional or stimulous? It is stimulous. (This applies only if the telephone company's hardware is DMS100.)
German Customers Only: Ask the telephone company whether their switch runs 1TR6 or NET3 software.
Ask for your ISDN telephone number(s) and SPID (Service Profile Identifier) number(s). The information the telephone company provides varies depending on the type of switch software it uses. The list below shows the switch software type and the information you need.
Write down your switch software type and the telephone number(s) and, if necessary, SPID number(s).
5ESS Custom: One telephone number. The telephone company may provide you with a corresponding SPID number; you will not need to know this number to set up your ISDN software.
5ESS NI1, DMS100 BCS level 31, 32, 33, or 34 (Protocol Version 1), or DMS100 NI1: Two telephone numbers and two corresponding SPID numbers.
NTT, 1TR6, or NET3 (also known as Euro-ISDN or DSS-1): One telephone number.
This should be enough information for the telephone company to set up your ISDN service. If they need more information about your system, see “Technical Background” for more detailed technical information.
Before you end your conversation with the telephone company, ask whether you're speaking with the correct person to:
Order addtional hardware from the telephone company, or from another vendor that the telephone company recommends. See “Ordering ISDN Hardware.”
Set up long distance calling service for the line. You must do this if you plan to connect to systems that are located outside of your local telephone area code.
If you live in Japan or Germany, once you've ordered your ISDN services as described in “Ordering ISDN Services,” your local telephone company automatically ships you the additional ISDN hardware you need to connect to a telephone jack.
If you live in the U.S., you need to explicitly order additional ISDN hardware from your local telephone company, or from another vendor that your telephone company recommends. When you order the hardware, make sure it includes all the appropriate cables. The list below itemizes every piece of equipment and cabling necessary to connect your Indy to a standard telephone jack.
An NT1 device: This small device (about the size of a standard VHS video tape) converts the standard 2- or 4-wire telephone jack signal (also called a `U Interface') to an 8-wire ISDN signal (called an `S/T Interface').
A power supply unit for the NT1 device: This is roughly the same size as the NT1 device; it supplies power from a standard AC outlet to the NT1 device.
A power cable: This connects the power supply unit to the AC outlet. Typically this cable is already connected to the power supply unit.
A short, straight-through RJ-45 cable: This connects the NT1 device to the power supply unit (this usually is included with the power supply unit).
A longer straight-through RJ-11 cable: This is the standard cable that you use to connect a telephone to a standard jack. With an ISDN connection, you use it to connect the power supply or NT1 device to the jack.
A 5- to 7-foot straight-through RJ-45 cable: This 8-wire, high-speed cable with RJ-45 connectors on both ends connects the NT1 device to your Indy.
Note: This is not the same type of cable that you use for a 10BaseT connection. If your telephone company does not supply this cable, you can order it from a number of vendors, including Silicon Graphics, Inc. (part number X5 ISDN) and Inmac.
When all your hardware arrives and your ISDN services are ready (see “Ordering ISDN Services”), go on to “Setting Up the ISDN Hardware.”
There are a wide variety of NT1 devices available in different countries. This section shows a sample setup that consists of an Indy, a Northern Telecom Meridian NT1 device, a Northern Telecom Meridian power supply unit for the NT1, and a telephone wall jack.
| Note: These instructions are more current and complete than those in the Indy Owner's Guide. |
Regardless of the type of NT1 device you have, the connection works in this way:
The wall jack supplies a standard, RJ-11 telephone jack; this is called the U interface.
Connect one end of a standard, 4-wire RJ-11 cable to the wall jack (U interface), and connect the other end to the RJ-11 port on the power supply unit (if you have one) or the NT1 device. This port should be labelled with a `U'.
If you have both a power supply unit and an NT1 device, connect the RJ-11 cable to the wall jack and to the U port on the power supply, then connect the very short RJ-45 cable to the jacks labelled with a U and a solid and dashed line on both the power supply unit and the NT1 device. Also connect the power cable on the power supply unit to a standard A/C outlet.
Connect one end of a straight-through, 8-wire RJ-45 cable to either of the RJ-45 ports on the NT1 that are labelled `S/T'. Connect the other end of this cable to the ISDN port on the Indy, which is labelled with an icon of a telephone.
Note: On a new Indy, the ISDN port will be covered with a red sticker. Remove the sticker, then connect the cable.
See Figure 2-1 for a setup that includes both an NT1 device and a power supply unit.
Figure 2-1. A physical ISDN connection between an Indy, an NT1 device, a power supply unit, and a telephone jack.
When all the hardware is set up, see “Setting Up the ISDN Software.”
Only the Administrator of a system (the person who knows the root password) can set up ISDN software. It involves these three steps:
Install the UUCP, PPP, and ISDN software. This online book is part of the ISDN software, so UUCP, PPP, and ISDN are already installed.
Configure system files for basic ISDN use; see “Setting Up Basic ISDN.”
Build a list of remote ISDN systems and networks that you want to access; see “Building a List of Remote ISDN Systems and Networks.”
Once your ISDN software is set up and you are able to access other systems, you can also provide your ISDN information to remote systems so they can access your system; see “Letting Other ISDN Systems Access Your System.”
To set up basic ISDN, you need to know what type of switch software your telephone company offers, and, for 5ESS NI1, DMS100 BCS level 31, 32, 33, or 34 (Protocol Version 1), or DMS100 NI1, you need two telephone numbers and their corresponding SPID numbers. You should have obtained this information in “Ordering ISDN Services.”
Also, you need a hostname and IP address for your system. You can get this information from the network administrator of the network to which you plan to connect.
To set up basic ISDN, the Administrator should follow these steps:
If you haven't already logged in as root through a shell window, do so now.
Choose “Unix Shell” from the Desktop toolchest.
Position your cursor within the new window and type:
login root
If a prompt for a password appears, type the password then press <Enter>. If a prompt appears but the root account has no password, just press <Enter>.
Assign your system a hostname and IP address, and turn on basic networking.
In the shell window, type:
/usr/Cadmin/bin/cnet
In the window that appears, enter your hostname in the field labeled This interface's name and enter the IP address in the field labeled IP address, then click the box next to Turn on networking for this port.
Click the OK button.
If you changed your hostname or IP address, several notifiers appear. Click OK in all the notifiers except for the one that asks if you want to restart the system; click Cancel in this notifier, since you'll restart the system later on.
Note: If you see an error notifier that reports that there is a problem with your Ethernet connection, click the Snooze button in the notifier. In the next step you'll turn off this message. Click the Cancel button in the Network Setup tool to dismiss its window.
If you do not have an Ethernet cable connected to your system (if ISDN is the only type of networking your're using), turn off the message by hand for now, and create a startup script that will suppress unnecessary error messages that inform you that the cable is disconnected. Type:
/usr/etc/ifconfig ec0 down
cd /etc/rc2.d
(Type the following command on one line, not two.)
ln -s ../init.d/isdn.no_ethernet S31isdn.no_ethernet
Note: If you plan to use the Ethernet connection and the ISDN connection simultaneously, do not issue these commands. See “Using ISDN and Other Networks Simultaneously.” Edit the file /etc/config/isdnd.options to give the system the information it needs about the switch software.
Open the file with a text editor such as jot by typing:
jot /etc/config/isdnd.options
For detailed information on using the jot text editor, choose a topic from its Help menu.
This file consists of several lines of information that tell you how to edit the file correctly; each line starts with a pound sign (#). Remove the pound sign from the line in the file that corresponds to your switch software type (see “Ordering ISDN Services” if you're unsure of your switch software), and edit the line if necessary.
For 5ESS custom, the only line in the file without a leading pound sign is:
-t 5ESS
For DMS100 BCS 31, 32, 33, 34 (Protocol Version 1), the only line without a leading pound sign is:
-t DMS100 -s <SPID1> -s <SPID2> -n <PN1> -n <PN2>
Where <SPID1> and <SPID2> are your first and second SPID numbers, and <PN1> and <PN2> are your first and second 7-digit (do not use a 1 or an area code) phone numbers (or directory numbers). For example, for a system whose SPID numbers are 415115400101 and 415115403939, and whose phone numbers are 1154001 and 1154039, the line looks like this:
-t DMS100 -s 415115400101 -s 415115403939 -n 1154001 -n 1154039
For 5ESS NI1 or DMS100 BCS 35 or higher (Protocol Version 2), the only line without a leading pound sign is:
-t NI1 -s <SPID1> -s <SPID2> -n <PN1> -n <PN2>
Where <SPID1> and <SPID2> are your first and second SPID numbers, and <PN1> and <PN2> are your first and second 7-digit (do not use a 1 or an area code) phone numbers (or directory numbers). For example, for a system whose SPID numbers are 415115400101 and 415115403939, and whose phone numbers are 4151154001 and 4151154039, the line looks like this:
-t NI1 -s 415115400101 -s 415115403939 -n 1154001 -n 1154039
For 1TR6 (Germany only), the only line without a leading pound sign is:
-t 1TR6
For NET3 (Europe, Germany, and UK), the only line without a leading pound sign is:
-t NET3
For NTT (Japan),the only line without a leading pound sign is:
-t NTT
Save your changes and quit the editor.
Turn on the basic ISDN software by typing:
/etc/chkconfig isdnd on
The basic ISDN software is set up. Go on to “Building a List of Remote ISDN Systems and Networks.”
Once your basic ISDN software is set up (see “Setting Up Basic ISDN”), you can build a list of the systems and networks that you want to access using your ISDN connection.
The instructions in this section assume that your Indy is not connected to any other type of network; that is, they assume that the only networking cable that is connected to your system is an ISDN cable, and that no other network interface software is in use on your system. If this is not the case, see “Using ISDN and Other Networks Simultaneously.”
| Note: If you are connecting to a large network, the network's administrator may refer to the remote system as a network hub, and will supply you with a hubname rather than a hostname. In this case, enter the hubname everywhere these instructions ask you to enter a hostname. |
For each system you need:
the system's hostname (hubname)
the system's IP address
a login account on the system
a password for your login account on the system
the ISDN telephone number(s) of the system
To build the list, the Administrator should follow these steps:
If you haven't already logged in as root through a shell window, do so now.
Choose “Unix Shell” from the Desktop toolchest.
Position your cursor within the new window and type:
login root
If a prompt for a password appears, type the password then press <Enter>. If a prompt appears but the root account has no password, just press <Enter>.
Make sure your /etc/hosts file contains the hostname and IP address of each remote ISDN system.
When a hostname contains more than seven characters (for example, mars.foo.bar.com, a typical hostname that includes a domain, contains sixteen characters), you need to add both the full hostname and a shorter name (seven characters or less, also called a hostname alias).
Open the file with a text editor such as jot by typing:
jot /etc/hosts
For detailed information on using the jot text editor, choose a topic from its Help menu.
Look for a line that contains the IP address and hostname of each system. If you find lines for each system, and if the hostname is seven characters or less or the line contains both the full hostname and a short enough hostname alias, go on to step 3.
If you do not find one or more lines, add one line for each system to the file. First type the IP address (4 numbers separated by periods), followed by a <Tab> and the full hostname, followed by a space and the hostname alias (if necessary). For example, for a system named mars.foo.bar.com with an IP address of 192.0.2.8, type:
192.0.2.8 mars.foo.bar.com mars
If the line already exists but the hostname is too long, just add a hostname alias to the end of the line.
Note: The hostname alias that you choose must be unique in the /etc/hosts file. When you decide on an alias, search the file (in jot, choose “Search Forward” from the Select menu) to make sure the alias is not already in use. Save your changes and quit the editor.
Add information about each remote ISDN system to the /etc/ppp.conf file. This file contains several lines of text that describe how to edit the file, and indicates where in the file you should add your entries.
Note: The edits shown here provide you with a basic setup. For a more advanced setup (for example, one that optimizes connection speed or provides network security) see “Using Advanced ISDN Configuration Options.” Open the file with a text editor such as jot by typing:
jot /etc/ppp.conf
For each system, you must supply three lines of information that include the seven-character or less hostname (often this is the hostname alias) of the system, and the name and password of your user login account on that system. You also request a static network route using add_route (see also “Changing Network Routing”). Each entry has this form:
<hostname> send_username=<user name>
send_passwd=<password>
add_route
For example, a three-line entry that lets you access the remote host mars.foo.bar.com (whose alias is mars) using your user name joe with a password of isdn would look like this:
mars send_username=joe
send_passwd=isdn
add_route
Add a three-line entry for each system. Separate each entry with a blank line to make the file more readable.
If your Internet Service Provider or network adminstrator wants you to add any additional lines, do so now. A typical entry would be to add a line after add_route that reads:
localhost=0
This allows the Internet Service Provider to assign a temporary IP address for your system whenever you make a connection.
Save your changes and quit the editor.
Add the telephone number(s) of each ISDN system to the /etc/uucp/Systems file.
Make a backup copy of the file in case you need a default version in the future.
cp /etc/uucp/Systems /etc/uucp/Systems.backup
Change the permissions on the original file so you can edit it by typing:
chmod u+w /etc/uucp/Systems
Open the file with a text editor such as jot by typing:
jot /etc/uucp/Systems
For each system, you must supply one line of information for each of the system's telephone numbers. If the system has one telephone number, you'll add one line; if it has two telephone numbers, you'll add two lines. Each line includes the seven-character or less hostname (often this is the hostname alias) of the system, the rate at which the connection will transfer data (typically 56 Kbits/second in the U.S., 64 Kbits/second elsewhere; for information on transferring at 64 Kbits within the U.S., see “About Transfer Rates”), and a telephone number.
Each line has the form shown below.
Note: In the actual file, do not break the line as shown here; each line starts with the hostname and ends with the word CONNECTED. <hostname> Any ISDN 38400 "" "" ISDNCALL[<rate>]<phone no> CONNECTED
For example, the one-line entry that lets you access the remote host mars.foo.bar.com (whose alias is mars), which is located in the U.S. and has a single telephone number of 415-115-4001 would look like this:
mars Any ISDN 38400 "" "" ISDNCALL[56]14151154001 CONNECTED
If the system were located outside of the U.S. (where the line carries 64 Kbits/second), the entry would look like this:
mars Any ISDN 38400 "" "" ISDNCALL[64]14151154001 CONNECTED
If the system had two telephone numbers (which means the system's switching software is DMS100 or NI1), for example, 415-115-4001 and 415-115-4040, the entry would look like this:
mars Any ISDN 38400 "" "" ISDNCALL[56]14151154001 CONNECTED
mars Any ISDN 38400 "" "" ISDNCALL[56]14151154040 CONNECTED
Add a one- or two-line entry for each system. Separate each entry with a blank line.
Make sure you leave a space between each item in each line (i.e., in the last example, leave a space after mars, Any, ISDN, 38400, both sets of double-quotes ("" ""), and ISDNCALL[56]14151154001).
Save your changes and quit the editor.
Unless otherwise advised by your Internet Service Provider or network administrator, turn off the active routing daemon(s) (for more information, see “Changing Network Routing”) by typing:
/etc/chkconfig routed off
/etc/chkconfig gated off
When you have provided the above information for at least one remote system, you can turn on your ISDN connection and test it. Go on to “Turning On and Testing the ISDN Connection.”
Once you have set up the basic ISDN software (see “Setting Up Basic ISDN”) and you have given your system information on how to access at least one remote system (see “Building a List of Remote ISDN Systems and Networks”), you can turn on and test the connection.
| Note: In the middle of this procedure you must restart your system. Please read this entire section before restarting the system, and note the title of this section so you can quickly find your place in this online guide again. |
Only the Administrator can turn on and test the connection by following these steps:
If you haven't already logged in as root through a shell window, do so now.
Choose “Unix Shell” from the Desktop toolchest.
Position your cursor within the new window and type:
login root
If a prompt for a password appears, type the password then press <Enter>. If a prompt appears but the root account has no password, just press <Enter>.
Close any running applications or open files, then restart your system by typing:
reboot
Log in to the system as root.
Open a shell window by choosing “Unix Shell” from the Desktop toolchest.
Connect to a system whose information you entered in “Building a List of Remote ISDN Systems and Networks” by typing:
ppp -r <hostname of remote system>
For example, to connect to the system named mars, type:
ppp -r mars
After several seconds, you'll know the connection is established and ready to use when you see a message similar to this:
ppp[395]<host> IPCP1 ready: <IP addr> to <IP addr>
If you see a different message, see “Troubleshooting the ISDN Connection.”
Verify whether the remote system has accepted your password and is running PPP by opening another shell window (do not use the window in which you started the connection) and typing:
netstat -C
Look for the line that starts with ppp0. If no asterisk (*) appears after ppp0, the connection is working. If an asterisk appears, it is not working; see “Troubleshooting the ISDN Connection.”
To stop the netstat command and return to the system prompt, type:
q
In the same window that you typed the netstat command, test the connection to the remote system by typing:
/usr/etc/ping mars
After 10 seconds, press <Ctrl-c>.
If you see a message that reports 0% packet loss, the connection is working. Go on to the next step.
If the message reports a large percentage of packet loss, the connection or network routing is not working. See “Troubleshooting the ISDN Connection.”
Close the connection by typing:
<Ctrl-c>
Customize your ISDN setup, or start using the connection now.
To set up your /etc/hosts file so you can directly log in to and transfer files between any remote system that's on the same network as the system to which you are connected via ISDN, see “Adding Remote Systems to the /etc/hosts File.”
To let other ISDN systems access your system, see “Letting Other ISDN Systems Access Your System.”
To log in to other systems and transfer information, see Chapter 3, “Using ISDN.”
The /etc/hosts file contains a list of all the remote systems that your system can access once the ISDN connection is open. Each line of the file contains an IP address and a hostname. For each remote system to which you want to log in directly, add a line to /etc/hosts.
Only the Administrator can edit /etc/hosts. Follow these steps:
Log in as root through a shell window.
Choose “Unix Shell” from the Desktop toolchest.
Position your cursor within the new window and type:
login root
If a prompt for a password appears, type the password then press <Enter>. If a prompt appears but the root account has no password, just press <Enter>.
Add the hostname and IP address of each remote system to /etc/hosts.
Open the file with a text editor such as jot by typing:
jot /etc/hosts
For detailed information on using the jot text editor, choose a topic from its Help menu.
Search the file to see whether it already contains the hostname and IP addresses that you plan to add. If they're already there, you do not need to edit the file. If they are not there, continue.
Add one line for each system to the end of the file. First type the IP address (4 numbers separated by periods) followed by a <Tab> and the hostname. For example, for a system named saturn.foo.bar.com with an IP address of 192.0.2.9, type:
192.0.2.9 saturn.foo.bar.com
Save your changes and quit the editor.
To let other ISDN systems access your system, follow these steps:
Use the User Manager from the System toolchest to add a user login account (it's best to give the account a password) for the person who wants to access your system.
Give the person this information:
His user login account name and password on your system, along with your system's telephone number(s). The person will need to add this information to his ppp.conf and Systems files as described in “Building a List of Remote ISDN Systems and Networks.”
The hostname and IP address of your system. The person will need to add this information to his /etc/hosts file as described in “Building a List of Remote ISDN Systems and Networks.”
Make sure your /etc/ppp.conf file contains this line:
_ISDN_INCOMING reconfigure
If the line does not appear in the file (it should be the very last line), add the line using a text editor.
If you are concerned with system security, you may want to add more information to your /etc/ppp.conf file; see “Using a System Security Scheme.”
The troubleshooting information in this section covers many common error conditions. If you find you need more detailed information, see the ppp man page.
Make sure all physical connections are solid, and that the NT1 device is powered on. If you had to solidify a connection or power on the NT1 device, restart the system, and try using ISDN again.
Run the confidence test. If there is a problem with your basic ISDN setup (the physical connection, the system software installation, the edits in the /etc/config/isdnd.options file, or the connection to the telephone company), this test will report it.
Log in to a shell window as root, then type:
/etc/init.d/isdnd stop
killall ppp
Choose “Run Confidence Tests” from the System toolchest.
In the Confidence Tests window, double-click the ISDN icon. (You may need to use the scroll bar to find the ISDN icon.)
After a few moments, a notifier appears.
If the notifier reports a problem, follow the instructions that the confidence test gives you for correcting the problem.
If the notifier tells you your ISDN connection is ready to use, type:
/etc/init.d/isdnd start
Try the ppp -r <hostname> command again, then go on to the next step.
If your system is still reporting error messages when you type ppp -r <hostname>, check “Error Messages During the Initial Setup” and “Error Messages from an Established Setup that Usually Works” for possible solutions.
This section lists various error messages that you may encounter during your initial setup of ISDN. Typically you'll see these messages after trying to connect to a remote system for the first time by typing ppp -r <hostname>. The messages may appear in your shell window, or in the /var/adm/SYSLOG file.
For more informative error or status messages when trying to make a connection, follow these steps:
Open another shell window, and in the new window type:
isdnstat
When you actually place the call in the next step, isdnstat reports the progress of the call. For more details, see the isdnstat man page. To stop isdnstat from running, type:
q
In the shell window in which you're logged in as root, place the call and request additional information from PPP by typing:
ppp -r <hostname> -d
The window in which you started isdnstat changes to show the progress of ISDN, and the window in which you typed the ppp command gives you information about PPP.
You can request even more information by adding additional -d flags to the ppp command line, but this will introduce security problems. See the ppp man page for details.
This section covers these error conditions:
Unknown switchtype “<switchtype>”
This means there is a problem with the edits you made in your /etc/config/isdnd.options file.
Check your entry in this file (see “Setting Up Basic ISDN” for details); in particular, make sure:
the line in the file that describes your telephone company's switch software type is the only line that does not start with a pound sign (#)
if your switch software type is DMS100 or 5ESS NI1, that your SPID numbers contain the appropriate number of digits (typically 11 - 13), and your phone numbers contain only 7 digits.
If you make any changes to the file, save the changes, then type:
/etc/init.d/isdnd stop
/etc/init.d/isdnd start
ppp[348] <hostname>: fatal error “LOGIN FAILED” on try #2
ppp[348] <hostname>: giving up for now
This message may appear immediately (within 3 seconds) after trying to make the connection, or may appear after several seconds.
If you see the message immediately, your system cannot access the ISDN line through your NT1 device, typically because the NT1 is powered off, or the telephone line is unplugged. Check that all connections are solid and the NT1 is powered on, then follow these steps:
Open a shell window, log in as root, then type:
/etc/init.d/isdnd stop
/etc/killall ppp
/etc/init.d/isdnd start
Wait 30 seconds, then try again, requesting more error or status information, by typing:
ppp -r <hostname> -d
If you see the same error message, there may be a problem with the telephone company's switching software. Contact them to report the problem.
If you see the Login Failed message after several seconds, there is a different problem; for example, the remote system may be down or its ISDN connection may already be in use. For more information, follow these steps:
Open another shell window, and in the new window type:
isdnstat
When you actually place the call in the next step, isdnstat reports the progress of the call. For more details, see the isdnstat man page. To stop isdnstat from running, type:
q
In the shell window in which you're logged in as root, place the call and request additional information from PPP by typing:
ppp -r <hostname> -d
The window in which you started isdnstat changes to show the progress of ISDN, and the window in which you typed the ppp command gives you information about PPP.
ppp[434] <hostname>: fatal error “SYSTEM NOT IN Systems FILE” on try #2
ppp[348] <hostname>: giving up for now
The above message means there is a problem with the edits you made to the /etc/uucp/Systems file.
Check your edits (see “Building a List of Remote ISDN Systems and Networks”). In particular, make sure:
if the telephone number is outside of your local area code, that the telephone number entry exactly matches what you would dial on a telephone to call the number. For example, for connections between two U.S. locations that are in different area codes, it must consist of 11 digits (1 + area code + 7-digit phone number).
the word `CONNECTED' appears at the end of each line.
the rate is appropriate for your location (typically 56 inside the U.S., 64 elsewhere; see also “About Transfer Rates”).
If you make any changes to the file, save the changes, then try the ppp -r <hostname> command again.
ppp[483] <hostname>: failed to find entry labeled `mars' in /etc/ppp.conf -- assume defaults
ppp[483] <hostname>: fatal error “LOGIN FAILED” on try #2
ppp[483] <hostname>: giving up for now
The above message means there is a problem with the edits you made to the /etc/ppp.conf file.
Check your edits (see “Building a List of Remote ISDN Systems and Networks”).
If you make any changes to the file, save the changes, then try the ppp -r <hostname> command again.
Device Type ISDN wanted Requested Device Type Not Found Call Failed: NO DEVICES AVAILABLE |
One or more of the above messages indicates that the file /etc/uucp/Devices is either missing information or is corrupted. Verify that the file contains these two lines:
ISDN isdn/modem_b1 - 38400 direct ISDN isdn/modem_b2 - 38400 direct |
If the lines are missing, add them to the file and save the changes, then try the ppp -r <hostname> command again.
This section lists various error conditions and messages that you may encounter when starting an ISDN connection that usually works. The messages may appear in your shell window, or in the /var/adm/SYSLOG file.
For more informative error or status messages when trying to make a connection, follow these steps:
Open another shell window, and in the new window type:
isdnstat
When you actually place the call in the next step, isdnstat reports the progress of the call. For more details, see the isdnstat man page. To stop isdnstat from running, type:
q
In the shell window in which you're logged in as root, place the call and request additional information from PPP by typing:
ppp -r <hostname> -d
The window in which you started isdnstat changes to show the progress of ISDN, and the window in which you typed the ppp command gives you information about PPP.
You can request even more information by adding additional -d flags to the ppp command line, but this will introduce security problems. See the ppp man page for details.
This section covers these error conditions:
ppp[348] <hostname>: fatal error “LOGIN FAILED” on try #2
ppp[348] <hostname>: giving up for now
This message may appear immediately (within 3 seconds) after trying to make the connection, or may appear after several seconds.
If you see the message immediately, your system cannot access the ISDN line through your NT1 device, typically because the NT1 is powered off, or the telephone line is unplugged. Check that all connections are solid and the NT1 is powered on, then follow these steps:
Open a shell window, log in as root, then type:
/etc/init.d/isdnd stop
/etc/killall ppp
/etc/init.d/isdnd start
Wait 30 seconds, then try again, requesting more error or status information, by typing:
ppp -r <hostname> -d
If you see the same error message, there may be a problem with the telephone company's switching software. Contact them to report the problem.
If you see the Login Failed message after several seconds, there is a different problem; for example, the remote system may be down or its ISDN connection may already be in use. For more information, follow these steps:
Open another shell window, and in the new window type:
isdnstat
When you actually place the call in the next step, isdnstat reports the progress of the call. For more details, see the isdnstat man page. To stop isdnstat from running, type:
q
In the shell window in which you're logged in as root, place the call and request additional information from PPP by typing:
ppp -r <hostname> -d
The window in which you started isdnstat changes to show the progress of ISDN, and the window in which you typed the ppp command gives you information about PPP.
<hostname>: Network is unreachable
The above message means that your system cannot determine the correct route to take to access the remote system.
Check your /etc/ppp.conf file, and make sure your entry for the host you tried to access contains this line:
add_route
Add this line to the entry if it was not already there; use the instructions in “Building a List of Remote ISDN Systems and Networks.”
Note: The add_route line establishes a static default route. If your Internet Service Provider or network adminstrator requires a different type of routing (for example, if you have a routing daemon turned on), contact that person and describe your problem. See also “Changing Network Routing” and the gated and routed man pages. Open another shell window, and in the new window type:
isdnstat
When you actually place the call in the next step, isdnstat reports the progress of the call. For more details, see the isdnstat man page. To stop isdnstat from running, type:
q
In the shell window in which you're logged in as root, place the call and request additional information from PPP by typing:
ppp -r <hostname> -d
The window in which you started isdnstat changes to show the progress of ISDN, and the window in which you typed the ppp command gives you information about PPP.
If you still cannot access the system, you may have a different routing problem. See “Changing Network Routing.”
<hostname>: Unknown host
The above message means that the system that you are trying to access does not appear in your /etc/hosts file.
Add the system to the /etc/hosts file as described in “Adding Remote Systems to the /etc/hosts File.”
Try to log in to the system again.