Intel 537EP Modem NEED URGENT HELP

[Ranma]

Hi to all people, and before hand thanks to all who are reading this...

This problem is driving me crazy and I could not find any solution
until now...

The problem is quite simple, when I bought the modem the current kernel
version was 2.6.11 and the modem worked fine, 5k download rate, but
when I upgraded my kernel the modem only was able to connect to 33.6
and whorse. I waited next releases hoping that this problem was only
caused by a particular kernel version but until today with kernel
2.6.15 the problem persist.
I have tried almost everything: An infinite number of init strings, all
the drivers available on intel's page with no luck, a lot of patches
for the driver, kernel recompilation with different network options and
alternative drivers such as smartlink or pctel wich for some people
worked, not for me.
People told me that it was bad kernel options but I try to keep the
options pretty much the same between kernel versions...
I also tried to contact Intel development, and encore who is the modem
manufacturer...
I hope anyone could offer me some help

THANKS IN ADVANCE

[Alex Matthew Lowe]

Hi,

I believe that your problem may not be with your modem, but with your service
provider.

In recent years, ISPs have started capping modem speeds as the technology and
number of users begins to outweigh their connection speed.

If you use a 2.6.11 kernel (if at all possible), do you get 56kbit/s?

Alex

[Ranma]

Hi, Alex thank you for the quick response...

Answering to your question, yes if I use kernel 2.6.11 I get 56kbit/s,
also tested with a lot of ISP's . Otherwise the speed slows down to
2k/3k with all the next kernel versions and the same is happening now
in 2.6.15... I have tested another modems and they worked fine... I am
running out of options here cause, some people say that is bad kernel
options, but I tried a lot of posibilities with no luck... A couple of
month ago I thought it may could be the driver but I could not find any
topic with a problem simillar to mine, the driver readme has an email
address to contact the development team but i get no answer at all...

Ranma

[Alex Matthew Lowe]

Hi,

Well, I've looked and it doesn't appear to exist in kernel.org's bugzilla database.

Are you using the internal linux driver? If so:
Are you using the vanilla kernel or the Gentoo kernel?
If you're using the Gentoo kernel, try the vanilla kernel
If it doesn't work with the Gentoo kernel but works with vanilla, file a bug at Gentoo.
If it doesn't work with the vanilla kernel, file a bug on kernel.org's bugzilla database.

Sorry if that doesn't help much, but I'm afraid I'm not very much of an expert when it comes to kernel-level stuff.

Good luck,

Alex

--
Alex Matthew Lowe

Thu Mar 2 22:52:07 CST 2006
fortune:
A blind rabbit was hopping through the woods, tripping over logs and crashing
into trees. At the same time, a blind snake was slithering through the same
forest, with identical results. They chanced to collide head-on in a clearing.
"Please excuse me, sir, I'm blind and I bumped into you accidentally,"
apologized the rabbit.
"That's quite all right," replied the snake, "I have the same
problem!"
"All my life I've been wondering what I am," said the rabbit, "Do
you think you could help me find out?"
"I'll try," said the snake. He gently coiled himself around the
rabbit. "Well, you're covered with soft fur, you have a little fluffy tail
and long ears. You're... hmmm... you're probably a bunny rabbit!"
"Great!" said the rabbit. "Thanks, I really owe you one!"
"Well," replied the snake, "I don't know what I am, either. Do you
suppose you could try and tell me?"
The rabbit ran his paws all over the snake. "Well, you're low, cold
and slimey..." And, as he ran one paw underneath the snake, "and you have
no balls. You must be an attorney!"

[Ranma]

Thanks again Alex for your response, unfortunately I've tested what you
said with not luck at all, it seems that I have bad karma with this
modem ;-)
The most unussual thing is that in every forum there isn't seems to be
any topic with a problem similar to mine, so I can guess that I am
alone with this ;-)
On the other hand I'm not a linux guru and I don't know any way to
trace what the modem module is doing or using (refered to the kernel)
to see the problem and find a solution. I'm kind of blind folded here,
I've mailed many times to the developers of the driver with no
response, and the drivers was not updated since 8/30/2005....
So, I'm running out of options, the only thing I can think of is to
contact Intel and ask them about the developers of that driver. It is a
very remote posibility but, nothing else comes to my mind...

Thanks a lot Alex for your advices...

Bye

[Driana Steele (ipridian)]

I think you better stay on 2.6.11 then, but again, if it only works with .11, then try to look at ChangeLogs of .12, .13, .14 and .15 .. you could also narrow the problem down to one kernel version by trying it with .12, then .13, then .14 and lastly .15. But I believe the kernel had some new options, which .11 didn't offer, then you would have to look into all the networking related options.

Good luck. :)

[Ranma]

After a few days of absence and research I have founded a few things
about my cursed modem, it may be important or maybe not, but i've
choose to share this with you to hear a coupe of point of view...
Here's the deal:
Doing setserial to the modem device it shows that the modem uart is
16450 and the flag speed is normal, in some cases changing the uart to
the right one and the speed flag to fast and not normal helped a couple
of users, my primary problem is that i cant change the flag or uart
type, the most stange of all is that when I do setserial
/dev/intel537ep -a
i get that the modem has 16550 but when i do the same to the simlynk l
get that the modem has 16450 uart, my question is if someone knows how
to change this, cause my guesses are that the right data is in the
device link, but why it changes in the symlink if they are pointing to
the same place?...

Thanks in advance.

Ranma

[Ranma]

Problem solved finally after maybe 7 or 8 months, thanks to all the
people who helped me and for all the advices.

Ranma