commad mode and GPRS at the same time - PPP

I am using GPRS and PPP and want at the same time as I have a GPRS
dataconnection alos query the modem about the Signal strenght "AT++CSQ"

Is this possible?

I noticed some phones support virtual SerialPorts (Siemens mc35)
Is there any plans on support for that in PPP

I am using the latest and greatest ppp software from ...samba.org/ppp...


Best Regards
Andy

"Song Networks" writes:
> I am using GPRS and PPP and want at the same time as I have a GPRS
> dataconnection alos query the modem about the Signal strenght "AT++CSQ"
>
> Is this possible?

Currently, in pppd, no.

Theoretically, one could modify the kernel bits (you didn't mention
it, and pppd runs on a variety of systems, but I'm wildly guessing
that you might be using Linux) so that they pause the data stream,
drop the modem to command mode (either using the hackish "+++"
mechanism or the more reliable AT&D1 DTR mechanism), send the AT
command, gather the response, send ATO to go back on-line, and restart
the data stream.

I don't know of any implementations of such a thing, though, and
making it reliable and usable would be quite a challenge.

Some commercial modem components have out-of-band monitoring
interfaces. When I worked at Xylogics / Bay Networks, we used these
in our communications servers to provide on-line call status for
administrators. That worked fairly well, but I can't imagine how
dodgy the implementation would have been if we had to do it in-band.

> I noticed some phones support virtual SerialPorts (Siemens mc35)
> Is there any plans on support for that in PPP

None that I know of.

> I am using the latest and greatest ppp software from ...samba.org/ppp...

This isn't really the best place to ask about new features in pppd.
ppp-bugs@dp.samba.org and (for the kernel bits)
linux-ppp@vger.kernel.org might be better places.

--
James Carlson, IP Systems Group
Sun Microsystems / 1 Network Drive 71.234W Vox +1 781 442 2084
MS UBUR02-212 / Burlington MA 01803-2757 42.497N Fax +1 781 442 1677