Wvdial

WvDial

Original author(s)	Dave Coombs / Avery Pennarun
Stable release	1.61 / September 19, 2009
Operating system	Linux
Available in	C++
Type	Internet
License	GNU Lesser General Public License
Website	alumnit.ca

WvDial (pronounced 'weave-dial' ^[1]) is a utility that helps in making modem-based connections to the Internet that is included in some important Linux distributions.^[2] 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.^[3]

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.^[3]

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.^[4]

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.^[5]

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 port modems) and /dev/ttyUSB (USB modems).

• /etc/ppp/peers/wvdial : required for correct authentication in pppd version 2.3.0 or newer.

• /etc/ppp/{pap, chap}-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.^[6]
• gnome-ppp ^[7]
• QtWvDialer

See also

Free software portal

• Hayes command set
• ifconfig
• NetworkManager
• kppp - An automated tool that features a GUI, instead of the daemon's command-line.
• pppconfig
• Point-to-Point Protocol daemon
• USB modem
• OpenNMS Notification usage example

References

1. ^ freshmeat.net: Project details for WvDial
2. ^ Wv Dial - open.alumnit.ca
3. ^ ^{a b} WvDial
4. ^ Wv Streams - open.alumnit.ca
5. ^ chat(8) - Linux man page
6. ^ http://osx.freshmeat.net/projects/x-wvdial/ , http://www.xfree86.org/4.4.0/xmessage.1.html
7. ^ GNOME PPP at GnomeFiles

Further reading

• WvDial FAQ
• Using wvdial with a SecurID one-shot password
• wvdial(1) – Linux User Commands Manual
• wvdialconf(1) – Linux User Commands Manual
• wvdial.conf(5) – Linux File Formats Manual

External links

• Official website
• wvdial Email list
• wvdial at Freecode
• x-wvdial at Freecode