I recently installed Mandrake Linux 10.2 2005 Limited Edition. I'm almost a complete newbie to Linux, and I'm just getting to grips with the system - I've worked with Windows for years and dabble in IT work, but as far as Linux goes, I really don't have a clue!

Everything went flawlessly with the install, and I've not had a single problem with the system - it recognised all of my hardware, configured everything for me, and it's working fine. In fact, there's only one glitch: I cannot connect to the internet, despite trying my best for 2 hours solid now.

My system has a BeWan ADSL PCI ST modem, which Mandrake detected fine - it states that it's "ST0137 [Unicorn] ADSL DMT Transceiver", media class "NETWORK_ATM". But no matter how many times I've put in the details, it refuses to work. It works fine in Windows XP, with the same cable, so I know it's not a hardware fault.

I got all of the technical details from my ISP (Pipex - I'm in the UK), and entered them in the "Network and Internet Configuration" page. According to my ISP I'm to use PPPoA, I got the primary DNS and secondary DNS servers, put in my account details, and even entered the VPI and VCI numbers under Advanced, too. It asks me if I want to allow users to start teh connection, I say yes; it asks me if I want to start the connection at boot, I say yes. It asks me if I want to try to connect to the internet now, and I say yes ....

..... and it pauses saying "Testing the connection" for about 45 seconds, and then tells me the system is not connected to the internet, and suggests I configure my settings. The only trouble being that I have configured them, and have even emailed my ISP to confirm they are correct - everything is typed in correctly, and I've made no errors. So am I missing something really obvious here? I really can't see what I'm doing wrong, and if anyone has any suggestions, I'd appreciate them I also notice that after this has happened, and I go into the configuration again, it's changed my primary DNS to be the same as the secondary DNS, and emptied the secondary DNS field, as well as forgetting the VCI and VPI numbers - but remembers everything else.

The only time I've ever used Linux prior to this was on an old laptop with SuSe Linux, and the reason I stopped using it was that I couldn't get my USB modem working with it. I really am getting used to using Linux now, but a system that can't get online is pretty much useless to me!

I had the same problem. In the end, my solution was to load Ubuntu, which I am very happy with. I have an external serial modem. Sorry I cannot be more help than that.

Just one other thing. If you do try Ubuntu and if it is happy with the USB modem, you might find that modem configuration is ten times more effective using the pppconfig utility, rather than trying to configure it using the Menu based method. I had that problem and there is an old thread about it.

Before I bought the modem, I did a bit of research and it seems to be the case that the best modems for Linux are external serial modems - other types can have problems.

Thanks for the suggestions - any advice helps, as I'll freely admit to knowing *very* little about Linux at present.

I think I'll try the USB modem again (I was hoping to avoid it, thinking the PCI modem to be an easier option *laughs* Good Window thinking, I suppose.), as I know that Mandrake's setup did try to install it originally and there are even Linux "drivers" available from the manufacturers - it's a Speedtouch 330, I believe. They weren't available when I first tried SuSE, so it might be worth a try *g*

And failing that, I think I'll take your advice to try Ubuntu - at the moment I'm just setting out in Linux and have no real ties to any one distro, so it wouldn't do any harm to try others out there.

Wish me luck!