232 lines
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232 lines
11 KiB
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<title>Using the Wireless Modem Ricochet LG #61</title>
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<H4 ALIGN="center">
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"Linux Gazette...<I>making Linux just a little more fun!</I>"
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</H4>
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<P> <HR> <P>
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<center>
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<H1><font color="maroon">Using the Wireless Modem Ricochet</font></H1>
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<H4>By <a href="mailto:python@kepnet.com">Mark Nielsen</a></H4>
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</center>
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<P> <HR> <P>
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<ol>
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<li>
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<a href="#REF">References</a></li>
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<li>
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<a href="#Introduction">Introduction</a></li>
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<li>
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<a href="#getting">Getting Ricochet</a></li>
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<li>
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<a href="#install">Installing the Ricochet modem</a></li>
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<li>
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<a href="#firewall">Setting up a firewall for your network</a></li>
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<li>
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<a href="#Why">Why use the Ricochet modem?</a></li>
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<li>
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<a href="#Conclusion">Conclusion</a></li>
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</ol>
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<h3>
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<a NAME="REF"></a>References</h3>
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<ol>
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<li><a href="http://phobos.illtel.denver.co.us/~abelits/metricom/">Metricom modems support in Linux</a>.
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This is the only place I found that explained how to install the faster modems.</li>
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<li>
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<li> If this article changes, it will
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<a href="http://www.gnujobs.com/Articles/11/Ricochet.html">available at GNUJobs.com</a>.
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<li><a href="../lg_index.html"> LG index</a> which has many
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articles on networking and firewalls. You may also want to look at <a href="http://www.linux.org/docs/index.html">Linux.org</a>
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to find documentation on how to setup a firewall.
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</ol>
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<h3>
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<a NAME="Introduction"></a>Introduction</h3>
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The Ricochet modems are wireless modems that let you connect your computer
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to the internet through an ISP provider that is hooked up to the
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wireless network. It is only available in
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<a href="http://www.ricochet.com/about_us/coverage_maps/index.html">certain areas</a>.
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<p>
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None of the ISPs support Linux. They officially only support crappy
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horrible operating systems are not good for a technical person or
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a real programmer. Naturally, Linux, FreeBSD, and other good quality
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operating systems are ignored. It makes sense from profit point of view.
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Call the ISPs and let me know you want them to support real operating systems.
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<p>
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The modems will connect at 80 Kbps with a serial port and 128 Kbps for a USB
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connection. I only use the serial port connection, for now, and it seems
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faster and more stable compared to a normal dial-up over the phone. Sometimes
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it crawls, but overall, I am very happy with the modem.
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<h3>
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<a NAME="getting"></a>Getting Ricochet</h3>
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None of the ISPs support Linux. <a href="http://www.wwc.com">Wireless Web Connect</a>
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seems to be more liberal, so I choose them. All the other service providers
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seemed to have staff that had no clue what Linux was and they had a big
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corporate feel, which I usually try to avoid. I bought my modem through
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the service provider for around $100, which apparently was a special price,
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but I have noticed that special prices tend to become the normal prices
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over time in the ISP market.
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<h3>
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<a NAME="install"></a>Installing the Ricochet modem</h3>
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Installing the modem was really easy after I found the right webpage.
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<a href="http://phobos.illtel.denver.co.us/~abelits/metricom/">Metricom modems support in Linux</a>.
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<p>
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It was this simple on a RedHat 6.2 system (when am I going to switch to Debian for good?),
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<ol>
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<li> Start the control panel with the command "control-panel" in Xwindows.
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<li> Click on the Network Configurator.
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<li> Click on the "Interfaces" button.
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<li> Click "Add".
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<li> Choose the PPP option and continue.
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<li> Type in "3333" for the phone number, and the username and password. Select
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the PAP option.
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<li> After you have added the ppp interface, click on the interface, click
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on the Edit button and type in "noipdefault" where it says "PPP Options".
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Then click on "Done".
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<li> Save and quit the control-panel.
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</ol>
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Now you need to follow the specific instructions the above article talks about.
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You need to modify /etc/resolv.conf for the DNS and edit /etc/ppp/pap-secrets as described
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in the article.
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<p>
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Overall, it was simple once I knew what to do.
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<p>
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If you have tried to figure out how to setup the modem, and you cannot,
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and you have read this article and the other article mentioned above, then
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send email to <a href="mailto:articles@gnujobs.com"> GNUJobs.com at
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articles@gnujobs.com</a> and perhaps I can point you in the right direction.
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If you attend the
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<a href="http://www.svlug.org">SVLUG</a> meetings in the Bay Area, bring your laptop and send
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me email when you are attending the next meeting, and I can help out.
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<h3>
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<a NAME="firewall"></a>Setting up a firewall for your network</h3>
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I have a desktop computer and a laptop. I don't like using the touchpad on my
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laptop, and since I have to use the serial port for my external mouse, I can't
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use the Ricochet modem (unless I use the touchpad). Thus, I use my desktop
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computer as a firewall. I connect
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the desktop computer and laptop to a 100 mbit hub. Then I connect the Ricochet modem
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to the desktop computer.
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<p>
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The desktop becomes my firewall. I don't have any services running on it
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except for ssh. All the other ports are closed. Please use the program
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<a href="http://www.insecure.org/nmap/">nmap</a> to
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scan your computers to find out which ports are open. I would also disable
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the root account from logging in with ssh.
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<p>
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If you wish to know how to setup a firewall, I 9have written many old articles
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for the Linux Gazette about networking and firewalls. There are lots of resources
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out there. Try linux.org also with their HOWTOS.
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<h3>
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<a NAME="Why"></a>Why do this stuff?</h3>
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As an independent consultant, having the ability to go anywhere and
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be connected is nice. Not having to pay startup costs every time you want
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to get a 2nd phone line in an apartment is nice. I really loathe the local
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phone companies for hitting businesses with high phone bills. The wireless
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modem ends up paying for itself after you combine a phone bill and an ISP bill.
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<p>
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It isn't super fast, but for my needs it is just fine. I am still going to get
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a DSL hookup. This will provide me with two alternate ways of connecting to
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the internet should one route die for a day. That can be very bad for an
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independent consultant, so two routes are a must.
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<p>
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I leave the modem on all day and the firewall on all day. It is nice
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that it doesn't tie up a phone line and it is also nice that I don't have
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wires all over the place. When I had to move to a different room because
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the guy who was assembling my furniture kicked me out of my office, it was
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nice that I could take the laptop with the Ricochet modem to another room.
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<h3>
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<a NAME="Conclusion"></a>Conclusion</h3>
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The Ricochet modem is good for connecting to the internet and is a must
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for a traveling independent consultant. I don't work for or get paid by
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Ricochet or the service providers for Ricochet, so my opinion isn't skewed.
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It is easy to setup, with just a few modifications. If you cannot afford
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it as a business expense, don't do it and get a DSL line instead for
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personal use because it is not going to be as fast as DSL and it can be more
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expensive than DSL. There are bonuses and negatives to getting the Ricochet modem.
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If we ever get to the point where the speed gets upto 500 Kbps, then DSL
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has no real advantage for me (except in the Bay Area getting a fixed ip address
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with DSL seems to be $30 more a month which is a lot cheaper than what I paid
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for to get a fixed ip address using Cable Modems in Columbus, Ohio).
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<P>
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<i> Mark works as an independent consultant donating time to causes like
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GNUJobs.com, writing articles, and writing free software.</i>
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<!-- *** BEGIN copyright *** -->
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<P> <hr> <!-- P -->
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<H5 ALIGN=center>
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Copyright © 2000, Mark Nielsen.<BR>
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Copying license <A HREF="../copying.html">http://www.linuxgazette.com/copying.html</A><BR>
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Published in Issue 61 of <i>Linux Gazette</i>, January 2001</H5>
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