Wvdial
Encyclopedia
WvDial is a utility that helps in making modem
-based connections to the Internet that is included in some important Linux distributions. WvDial is a Point-to-Point Protocol
dialer
: it dials a modem and starts pppd
in order to connect to the Internet
.
When WvDial starts, it first loads its configuration from /etc/wvdial.conf and ~/.wvdialrc, which contain basic information about the modem port, speed, and init string, along with information about your ISP, such as the phone number, your user name, and your password.
Then it initializes your modem (strings are sent to the modem) and dials
the server and waits for a connection (a CONNECT
string from the modem). Any time after connecting, WvDial will start PPP if it sees a PPP sequence from the server or, alternatively, tries to start PPP. If all of this fails, WvDial just runs pppd and hopes for the best.
The connection started with WvDial can be dropped by switching back to the terminal from where it was started and pressing Ctrl-C.
WvDial uses the wvstreams library.
It helps in generating the configuration file needed by WvDial. wvdialconf detects your modem, and fill in automatically the Modem, maximum Baud rate, and a good initialization string (Init options) and generates or updates the WvDial configuration file (/etc/wvdial.conf) based on this information.
It is safe to run wvdialconf if a configuration file already exists. In that case, only the Modem, Baud, Init, and Init2 options are changed in the [Dialer Defaults] section, and only if autodetection is successful.
wvdialconf is a non-interactive utility ( that means that you still need to edit /etc/wvdial.conf to specify the phone number, login name, and password of your internet account in order for WvDial to work).
Example:
wvdialconf /etc/wvdial.conf
Here, /etc/wvdial.conf is the path of the file that needs to be created or updated with the details that wvdialconf detects.
The configuration file built by wvdialconf still needs to be updated with the details like your phone number, username, password for your internet connection in order for WvDial to work.
Here is a sample configuration file:
[Dialer Defaults]
Modem = /dev/ttyACM0
Baud = 460800
Init = ATZ
Init2 = ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0
ISDN = 0
Modem Type = USB Modem
Phone = #777
Username = internet
Password = internet
stupid mode = 1
This example that uses Init3 to turn the modem's speaker off. The default is "ATZ" for Init(1).
When WvDial is in Stupid Mode, it does not attempt to interpret any prompts from the terminal server. It starts pppd immediately after the modem connects. Apparently there are ISP's that actually give you a login prompt, but work only if you start PPP, rather than logging in.
script wvdial.log
wvdial
exit
Modem
A modem is a device that modulates an analog carrier signal to encode digital information, and also demodulates such a carrier signal to decode the transmitted information. The goal is to produce a signal that can be transmitted easily and decoded to reproduce the original digital data...
-based connections to the Internet that is included in some important Linux distributions. WvDial is a Point-to-Point Protocol
Point-to-Point Protocol
In networking, the Point-to-Point Protocol is a data link protocol commonly used in establishing a direct connection between two networking nodes...
dialer
Dialer
A dialer or dialler is an electronic device that is connected to a telephone line to monitor the dialed numbers and alter them to seamlessly provide services that otherwise require lengthy access codes to be dialed...
: it dials a modem and starts pppd
Pppd
PPPD is the Point-to-Point Protocol daemon which is used tomanage network connections between two nodes on Unix-like operating systems. It is configured using command-line arguments and configuration files....
in order to connect to the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
.
When WvDial starts, it first loads its configuration from /etc/wvdial.conf and ~/.wvdialrc, which contain basic information about the modem port, speed, and init string, along with information about your ISP, such as the phone number, your user name, and your password.
Then it initializes your modem (strings are sent to the modem) and dials
Dialer
A dialer or dialler is an electronic device that is connected to a telephone line to monitor the dialed numbers and alter them to seamlessly provide services that otherwise require lengthy access codes to be dialed...
the server and waits for a connection (a CONNECT
CONNECT
CONNECT may stand for:* CONNECT, the Alfa Romeo 147 on-board information system* The CONNECT request method in the Hypertext Transfer Protocol * A CONNECT string from a modem...
string from the modem). Any time after connecting, WvDial will start PPP if it sees a PPP sequence from the server or, alternatively, tries to start PPP. If all of this fails, WvDial just runs pppd and hopes for the best.
The connection started with WvDial can be dropped by switching back to the terminal from where it was started and pressing Ctrl-C.
WvDial uses the wvstreams library.
WvDial and chat
It uses heuristics to guess how to dial and log into your server rather than forcing you to write a login script.wvdialconf utility
If /etc/wvdial.conf is not present, the easiest way to create it is to use configuration utility wvdialconf .It helps in generating the configuration file needed by WvDial. wvdialconf detects your modem, and fill in automatically the Modem, maximum Baud rate, and a good initialization string (Init options) and generates or updates the WvDial configuration file (/etc/wvdial.conf) based on this information.
It is safe to run wvdialconf if a configuration file already exists. In that case, only the Modem, Baud, Init, and Init2 options are changed in the [Dialer Defaults] section, and only if autodetection is successful.
wvdialconf is a non-interactive utility ( that means that you still need to edit /etc/wvdial.conf to specify the phone number, login name, and password of your internet account in order for WvDial to work).
Example:
wvdialconf /etc/wvdial.conf
Here, /etc/wvdial.conf is the path of the file that needs to be created or updated with the details that wvdialconf detects.
The configuration file built by wvdialconf still needs to be updated with the details like your phone number, username, password for your internet connection in order for WvDial to work.
Files
- /dev/ttyS (serial portSerial portIn computing, a serial port is a serial communication physical interface through which information transfers in or out one bit at a time...
modems) and /dev/ttyUSB (USB modems).
- /etc/ppp/peers/wvdial : required for correct authentication in pppd version 2.3.0 or newer.
- /etc/ppp/{papPassword authentication protocolA password authentication protocol is an authentication protocol that uses a password.PAP is used by Point to Point Protocol to validate users before allowing them access to server resources. Almost all network operating system remote servers support PAP.PAP transmits unencrypted ASCII passwords...
, chapChallenge-handshake authentication protocolIn computing, the Challenge-Handshake Authentication Protocol authenticates a user or network host to an authenticating entity. That entity may be, for example, an Internet service provider. CHAP is specified in RFC 1994....
}-secrets : Contains a list of usernames and passwords used by pppd for authentication. WvDial maintains this list automatically.
wvdial.conf
When WvDial starts, it first loads its configuration from /etc/wvdial.conf. The configuration file /etc/wvdial.conf is the equivalent to the Windows "ini" file format, with sections named in square brackets and a number of variable = value pairs within each section.Here is a sample configuration file:
[Dialer Defaults]
Modem = /dev/ttyACM0
Baud = 460800
Init = ATZ
Init2 = ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0
ISDN = 0
Modem Type = USB Modem
Phone = #777
Username = internet
Password = internet
stupid mode = 1
This example that uses Init3 to turn the modem's speaker off. The default is "ATZ" for Init(1).
When WvDial is in Stupid Mode, it does not attempt to interpret any prompts from the terminal server. It starts pppd immediately after the modem connects. Apparently there are ISP's that actually give you a login prompt, but work only if you start PPP, rather than logging in.
Log
If WvDial fails to establish the communication, type the following commands:script wvdial.log
wvdial
exit
Ready
After starting wvdial you can know if your session is ready with `/sbin/ip addr` which, if OK, will show a pppd interface entry.Graphical frontends
There are some GUI tools which allows using WvDial:- x-wvdial, that uses xmessage.
- gnome-pppGnome-pppGnome-PPP is a front end to the Point-to-Point Protocol dialer Wvdial. It is meant to make it easier to configure a dialup connection, and supports a system tray icon. As of May 2009, the website is dead and the application appears to be discontinued, although it can still be downloaded from...
- QtWvDialer
See also
- Hayes command setHayes command setThe Hayes command set is a specific command-language originally developed for the Hayes Smartmodem 300 baud modem in 1981. The command set consists of a series of short text strings which combine together to produce complete commands for operations such as dialing, hanging up, and changing the...
- ifconfigIfconfigifconfig is a system administration utility in Unix-like operating systems to configure, control, and query TCP/IP network interface parameters from a command line interface or in system configuration scripts...
- NetworkManagerNetworkManagerNetwork Manager is a software utility aimed at simplifying the use of computer networks on Linux-based and other Unix-like operating systems.- Overview :...
- kpppKpppkppp is a modem and internet dialer for the KDE system, whose name is an abbreviation for "KDE Point-to-Point Protocol".kppp is generally used to connect to an internet service provider via a modem and phone line, although it can be used in other situations where the PPP protocol is needed...
- An automated tool that features a GUIGuiGui or guee is a generic term to refer to grilled dishes in Korean cuisine. These most commonly have meat or fish as their primary ingredient, but may in some cases also comprise grilled vegetables or other vegetarian ingredients. The term derives from the verb, "gupda" in Korean, which literally...
, instead of the daemon's command-line. - pppconfig
- Point-to-Point Protocol daemon
- USB modem
- OpenNMS Notification usage example