I am using Knoppix. Can I connect to the net with a Prolink Hurricane 8000 external modem? What information do I need? Any programs to get?

I am a little worried cos I read that USB modems may not work with Knoppix.

USB modems, indeed, may not work with knoppix. Only serial modems are garanteed to work.
Have you checked your modem in the HCL? If anyone is having bad trouble with it, it'll be there.

Just plug the modem in and attempt to configer it as normal - it will be wherever you would normally see usb devices. /dev/usbtty0 or something like that. You probably have /dev/modem as a symbolic link - just make sure it points to the correct device.

If nothing happens, then this usb modem don't go.

Hi rsguy,

I had some bother with my USB cable modem with my Mandrake 9.2
install, but I found that Knoppix would load from the CD and recognise
it straight away without my intervention, so my advice is try it and see!

If it helps, here are the steps I took to get my USB modem working
under Mandrake;

1) at a command line, check the output of

lsmod

- a list of kernel modules loaded. USB support is via usb-ohci or usb-uhci
or something like that.

2) I needed the appropriate module to work the modem,
which is, for kernel 2.4.x

CDCEther
or for kernel 2.6.x,

usbnet.

If this is not present, it can be loaded; as root, I typed the instruction;

modprobe module-name,
where module-name = CDCEther or usbnet, as appropriate.
(How do I know which kernel I have? Type;

uname -r
at a command-line)

After doing this I could use Mandrake to get on-line, but sometimes
it was a bit flaky. So I went to;

3) I unplugged the USB cable at both ends & plugged in an ethernet
cable using the optional ethernet port on the modem. I then powered
down the modem & switched it back on, and re-booted theOS.
The connection has been rock solid. I don't know if this is possible with
your Prolink, but it's worth considering.

A potted history which I hope has been useful.

Good luck,
Paul
UK

Thanks for the help guys. Still trying to figure out the settings.

Can Linux support plug-and-play? Or do I have to boot with the USB modem plugged in?

Linux usb will support hotplugging which is different from "plug-and-play". Hotplugging is when you can plug or unplug something whenever you like - which is the case for usb. Plug-and-play (sometimes called PNP or PNR by microsoft) is when your computer automatically detects and installs drivers for devices when you boot up. Linux does this also. (As opposed to the bad old days when you had to manually configure each device or use a script to do so.)

great! which settings would those be? The ones under modem configuration or where? If you plug it in - try dmesg | grep usb

you can also attempt:
and listen for the dial - the number don't exist - and watch the pretty lights.

(note) the address should be wher your usb devices are under your distro. If the modem wasn't plugged in when you installed knoppix, then any /dev/modem link will not be correct. If the above don't work, try /dev/usb/ttyUSB1 and so on ... or maybe /dev/ttyS0 on the offchance.