To get a modem working on my Grandparent’s Ubuntu Intrepid machine I needed to use wvdial. I can’t remember the exact sequence but perhaps start by editing “/etc/wvdial.conf” while logged in as root.

sudo gedit "/etc/wvdial.conf"

Supply the phone number to the ISP, the user name, and the password.

I also found my Grandparent’s modem was on /dev/tty0 not /dev/tty1. You could hear it on one and not the other which was a pretty simple test.

OK – now you can make a connection using the simple command:

sudo wvdial

NB if you have trouble connecting, disconnect all phones except for the modem and try again. The explanation is complex and may vary by country but it is worth a shot if the login works and the connection mysteriously disconnects (e.g. Exit code 16).

Now get a GUI for connecting and disconnecting.

sudo apt-get install gnome-ppp

Then, manually set the correct permissions:

sudo chown root:dip /usr/sbin/pppd
sudo chmod 4754 /usr/sbin/pppd
sudo chmod 777 /etc/ppp/pap-secrets
sudo chmod 777 /etc/ppp/peers

(http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=6296683&postcount=4)

I found I needed to make /usr/bin/pppd executable for everything to work. Some people have suggested you need to re-log in to make it work or even reboot but I am not sure if that is necessary.

Anyway, add the Gnome ppp dialer to the panel and everything is simple enough for anyone to use.