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Leon24 0 Newbie Poster

Hi, I'm a recent convert to linux after years of using Windows. If anyone can advise re connecting to the internet using ubuntu then I would be very grateful. Ubuntu doesn't find the modem at all but I've been browsing the help files and forums and thanks to a helpful reference http://help.ubuntu.com/community/DialupModemHowto I have used sudo pppconfig to set up a connection. The modem dialed out ok and connected to the ISP. But came back with an error message and I couldn't use the connection.

I left the section 'enter the IP number for your primary nameserver' blank since this didn't mean much to me. I suppose this is where I went wrong (this question wasn't covered in the instructions for some reason).

I know it's possible to get this working but am not sure what to do next.

Ubuntu sure looks better than windows 2000 !

Thanks in advance for checking this out.

Leon

Update: went to xtra webpage and got DNS settings for their servers then redid pppconfig to include IP address. Result - I'm writing this from Ubuntu. Only took a few days. Next - increasing the screen resolution. I like what Stephen Bucaro wrote about this 'unfotunately, with Linux things are not so easy'. Going offline now. My partner has given up on me and gone to bed...

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Good to see got online after adding DNS addresses. The symptom described (modem dials and the link is up but web browsing fails) is almost always a name‑resolution problem: PPP brings up an IP link and routes, but without valid DNS servers the system cannot resolve hostnames. Two reliable fixes are available: accept DNS supplied by the ISP (the PPP daemon can request and install those when the peer provides them) or enter DNS server IPs manually (ISP‑provided servers or public ones such as 8.8.8.8 / 1.1.1.1).

Where resolver info actually lives can vary by Ubuntu release. Older setups relied on /etc/resolv.conf directly; PPP wrote nameservers into /etc/ppp/resolv.conf and an ip‑up script updated resolv.conf. Newer systems use resolvconf or systemd‑resolved and /etc/resolv.conf is often a symlink. Editing /etc/resolv.conf by hand is a short‑term fix but can be overwritten; instead add DNS in the PPP/NetworkManager connection settings or the resolver’s persistent drop‑in (resolvconf or systemd configuration) so it survives reconnects.

Helpful troubleshooting items to gather when things still fail: the resolver file contents (is it a symlink?), kernel/PPPD log messages showing whether the peer pushed DNS, and whether any resolver service (resolvconf/systemd‑resolved/NetworkManager) is active. Those details make it easy to tell whether the modem, PPP link, or the resolver stack is at fault.

For the follow‑up about screen resolution: identify the graphics chipset, use Ubuntu’s Additional Drivers/Software & Updates tool to install vendor drivers if available, and try the Displays control panel (or xrandr for a temporary change). Generating an X configuration file is a last resort on modern desktops.

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