4.5 Networking and serial devices

See the Hardware Notes supplied with each release of FreeBSD for a more complete list.

You will need to add the modem's PnP ID to the PnP ID list in the serial driver. To enable Plug & Play support, compile a new kernel with controller pnp0 in the configuration file, then reboot the system. The kernel will print the PnP IDs of all the devices it finds. Copy the PnP ID from the modem to the table in /sys/i386/isa/sio.c, at about line 2777. Look for the string SUP1310 in the structure siopnp_ids[] to find the table. Build the kernel again, install, reboot, and your modem should be found.

You may have to manually configure the PnP devices using the pnp command in the boot-time configuration with a command like

pnp 1 0 enable os irq0 3 drq0 0 port0 0x2f8

to make the modem show.

FreeBSD supports many software modems via add-on software. The comms/ltmdm port adds support for modems based on the very popular Lucent LT chipset. The comms/mwavem port supports the modem in IBM Thinkpad 600 and 700 laptops.

You cannot install FreeBSD via a software modem; this software must be installed after the OS is installed.

No, and there is not likely to be.

Broadcom refuses to publically release programming information for their wireless chipsets, most likely because they use software controlled radios. In order to get FCC type acceptance for their parts, they have to ensure that users cannot arbitrarily set things like operating frequencies, modulation parameters and power output. But without knowing how to program the chipsets, it is nearly impossible to write a driver.

There is a list of these in the Miscellaneous devices section of the handbook.

Some unnamed clone cards have also been known to work, especially those that claim to be AST compatible.

Check the sio(4) manual page to get more information on configuring such cards.

• Build a kernel with options COMCONSOLE.

• Create /boot.config and place -P as the only text in the file.

• Unplug the keyboard from the system.

• See /usr/src/sys/i386/boot/biosboot/README.serial for information.