LandLine

How do I connect my Nokia Communicator to a LandLine-MODEM?


by   Yusuf Kursat Tuncel


           Introduction
            Disclaimer
            What You Need...
               Hardware  Connector
               Software    Advanced PPP Settings
            Setting Up and Configure
            Known Problems!
            Connecting
            LINUX / LAN Connectivity
            Editor's Note
            Links

Introduction
  Some people (like me) has to pay strange phone bills for connecting to internet over GSM; currently, in Turkey, it's about $2.8 / min!  Like all internet addicts, I can not be connected to internet in minutes - I need hours.  Just a local call would be perfect while I'm at home, or somewhere with land line connectivity. ( 16c / hour).
  Problem is, the Nokia Communicator is not prepared to connect to a landline!   It can be done, but needs a bit of handling.  However, the work is well rewarded, since connecting to landline-IAP via a normal MODEM has many advantages.
  Price of phone-calls, mentioned above, is just one of the advantages.  Speed is another.  Normal GSM only supports 9600 BPS, and even that the N9110 can go up to 14400 BPS on speciel prepared networks, it's still a long way up to, say, 33600 BPS!   Besides, it is only the N9110 which can use 14400 BPS; not the N9000(il) family!   Finally, by connecting to a landline, you can also get much more stabile data-connections in areas of very low coverage
  And that's the aim of this guide: To provide as fairly simple and easy 'How-to guide' for people who wants to be able to use their Nokia Communicator with a landline MODEM.

Disclaimer
  As usual, author neither gives warranty nor is responsible about anything described here.  You use this guide, and all of its contents at you own risk.  Don't use this guide, or anything found in it, unless you accept that no responsibility is given for any damage, on any of your equipment, Nokia Communicator, PC, MODEM, etc..
  The YAWS web-site, and all connected to the YAWS web-site, cannot be held responsible either, and goes under the same conditions as described above.
  Use it at your own risk!

What You Need...
   You need your Nokia Communicator obviously.  And you also need the cable which come together with your Nokia Communicator.  The cable used to connect your Nokia Communicator to a PC.  If you don't have that, ask for PC Connection Cable for Nokia 9110 or Nokia 9000 from your local store.  For the N9110 the cable is called DLR-2, and for the N9000(il) it is called DLR-1.
  Also, you have to make a special converter which is described below.
  And finally, since the Nokia Communicator needs to have some vital system-settings changed, you also need some speciel software to achieve this task.

The Hardware Connector
   The whole idea is to make your Nokia Communicator use a normal MODEM, and then connect the MODEM to a normal phone-line.  Problems is that there's no normal or official way to connect a Nokia Communicator to a normal MODEM!  So, we need to make a cable or plug to connect between these two!

  This is a type of NULL-MODEM Cable (DTE<->DTE).  One end is special output for the phone, other end is a standart 9-PIN female.
  So, we have to make a cable from external MODEM to phone. This would be as follows:
 
MODEM----> Converter--------------> Nokia Cable-------------> Phone
DCE DCE <> DCE DTE <> DTE DTE
25-PIN 25-PIN  <>  9-PIN 9-PIN  <>  Phone-In Phone-Out
Female Male  <>  Male Female  <>  Phone-In Phone-Out

  Apparrently, what we need is a  Male 9-to-25-PIN DCE-DCE converter.  This is different than the 'gender changer' that you'll normally find in a store.

Schematics of the Hardware Converter  So, the PIN lay-outs are:
 
9-PIN
(Male)
25-PIN
(Male)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
8
2
3
6
7
20
5
4

  You can make this at home, or you can order it to any electric-electronical equipment shop by giving these PIN lay-outs.

  Plug the 9-PIN to the DLR-1 or DLR-2 phone cable connected to the phone, and plug the other side to MODEM.

The "Advanced PPP Settings"-Software
  Now you need to tell your Nokia Communicator to use the external MODEM, instead of its built-in MODEM.  You also need to tell the Nokia Communicator to use a higher speed than the default one of 9600 BPS, which is the standard GSM-speed.

  There is one and a great software for this, which is called "Advanced PPP Settings".   The program is freeware, and you'll find a link to download it, at the buttom of this guide.

  If you have started some Internet Application before installing this software, reboot your machine (by unloading the battery).
  If you forget, the program will try to soft-reboot the machine.  But, It can not do it, it fails!  So you have to reboot it by hand, twice. (Don't panic if   you see a
message as "Internal system Error - Reboot your machine").

  Now you are ready for the land line.

Use these settings to begin with...Setting Up and Configure
  To the right these's a screenshoot from "Advanced PPP Settings", which shows the settings you should start up with.  Even if you have a MODEM which supports 28800 BPS or 33600 BPS, it's a good thing to stant with a little lower speed (in this case 19200 BPS), and see how it works out.  If everything goes well, you can then increase the speed.  If the connection doesn't work, try to lower the BAUD-rate.
  So, enter "Advanced PPP Settings" (can be found under the <System>-application) on you Nokia Communicator, and make these settings!

HINT: It's a good idea to press the <HELP>-key on the Nokia Communicator while in the "Advanced PPP Settings"-application, and read the help-file included.  A lot of useful informations in here.

Known Problems!
  Now you're ready to connect, but before doing so, there's a few known problems which you might want to beaware of before trying.

  Coverage Problem: To use this connection, your phone must be turned on, and be in the coverage area.  Because of the internal design, the Nokia Communicator first checks for the phone interface and coverage status before it dials  Maybe, there is a registry setting for this, which we ma hope to be discovered by
someone else.

  Pre-dial Program: It isn't allowed within your Nokia Communicator standart settings to dial 9, or 0, before the telephone number.  However, with "Advanced PPP Settings", you can change the number  to whatever you like.  The last option in the "Advanced PPP Settings" exactly does this.

  Hang-Up Problem: I tried but could not find a way to cancel a call, especially when it can not connect properly.  So, either you'll wait for to phone to hangup itself, or reboot.  But, don't worry, reboot takes 10 seconds :) (Total return to dialing). Not so bad, considering windoze :P.

Connecting  (Finally J )
   Choose a modem that support at least 38400 BAUD.  The modem I tried was an E-tech E288MX MODEM and it worked fine.  I believe, most of the new modems will connect properly.  (Editor: I used a US Robotic SporsterVoice MODEM at 33600 BAUD, and it worked fine too :-)
  After making the above mentioned hardware connections and software settings, try to enter the <Internet>-application on the Nokia Communicator.  Enter one of the programs in here, and try to make a connection to the Internet.

  If it doesn't work try lowering the BAUD-speed in "Advanced PPP Settings".

  If it still doesn't work it might be the ISP-line which is wrong!  I managed to solve this problem by changing the telephone number I use for connecting to my ISP. They had analog line, not ISDN.  ISDN line had connection problems at low speeds.  Try to obtain a connection number from your ISP, which has analog lines, not ISDN.

  If it still ain't working, you might have have to initialize the modem with special AT commands.  Consult the manual for your MODEM, or contact your ISP, to find these.

LINUX / LAN Connectivity.
  It is possible to connect Nokia Communicator to LAN (thus Internet), if LINUX is used as a Gateway.  But you need to be familiar with LINUX to achieve this.
  I'm putting "PPPD Start and Chat Script" supplied by Jan Kratochvil.  You need to configure your LINUX server to forward IP packets also.
  Detailed information will be added into this howto.


Editor's Note: This 'How-to guide' is the work of Yusuf Kursat Tuncel and published here with his permisson.  The content of the guide is as close to the original guide as possible, but some design-changes has been made, when putting it on this web-site - to make it complete and fulfill the design-structure of this web-site.  These design-changes include putting filenames in "-signs, making double spaces after .-signs, capitalizing some letters, and finally including some pictures.  But the guide itself, is the original and solve work of Yusuf Kursat Tuncel!


Related URLs: 
ZIP-File Size:  6  KB Download of "Advanced PPP Settings"
"Advanced PPP Settings" Description of "Advanced PPP Settings"
Marcus Gröber Homepage of Marcus Gröber - Author of "Advanced PPP Settings"
"PPPD Start and Chat Script" "PPPD Start and Chat Script" supplied by Jan Kratochvil.