I have installed Mandrake 9.2 on my PC along with Windows ME and under Mandrake, I cannot connect to the internet through my ntlworld broadband modem (made by ambit). The modem is connected to my PC via the USB cable (not via a network card). I have tried using the internet connection wizard and it didn't work. However, my first Linux system was the Slackware Live CD (with the OS stored on the CD instead of the HDD) and access to the net has not been a problem, I'm even posting from Slackware Live right now. Please some kind person tell me what I need to do.

Do you know how your provider, well, provides your DSL service? If its bridged DHCP, just connect the modem to a NIC card, and ifup the device (probably eth0).

Between you and me, I've been using this redhat9 box with bellsouth DSL for the last month, and I've yet to have to authenticate myself.

If I can at all avoid having to install a network card, I'd rather just continue with using broadband through my usb port. Thanks for your suggestion, but hopefully there is somebody out there who has figured out how to connect the way I want to and can tell me how.

try searching this site for "ntl usb" or similar, there is a big long thread with people explaining all about it. personally i'd say installing an NIC is so so so much easier and preferable... only £8 for a card.

I use NTL on RH9 and found the easiest way to get it to work was to use a NIC. Apparently connecting through a NIC is also faster, more sable and has less CPU load than USB (although most of that seems to be people opinions rather than hard fact ). NTL do not officially support Linux, thus the installation CD will be of no help, however as someone has said there may be resources about it on thier site, but i couldn't find any offical ones. Your best bet may be to head over to NTHell World Forums as there are lots of NTL users that are on Linux, from memory, so may have set up the USB stuff.

If i were you i would save the hassel and get a NIC... plug and play baby, yeah!!!

By trial and error, I FOUND THE ANSWER!!! (insert round of applause here) I hope if anyone else has been bashing their head against the wall with this, try:
1. Launch the internet config wizard from the "configure my PC/system" from the main menu.
2. Select expert setup
3. Set your modem as "cable"
4. The first driver on the list that has any reference to USB to ethernet, use that one. It works with the NTL modem.