help in selecting the most suitable distro?
 

i've been a windows user ever since (my microsoft ties even date back to MS-DOS). now, i've read about how linux is stable and more protected from malware, which has been my nemesis for the past weeks. so i've decided to try out linux, but then my experiences using it has been less than satisfactory, owing to the one big problem i have with it: internet connection.

being from the philippines, where everything here is bloated in cost, i'm still using dial-up as it is the only feasible way to access the net here so far. this is where i've had problems with linux. i've tried a lot of distros (SuSE 9.3, Red Hat 7.3, Ubuntu/Kubuntu, and MEPIS) just so i could make my smartlink modem work, but unfortunately, it's a no-go (i bought the modem to replace the conexant one since i don't wanna pay for some linuxant driver).

so i'd like to ask you guys: which distro is most suited to handle this smartlink modem? ideally, i won't have to fiddle with it much save for minor adjustments like setting the modem speaker and stuff. any help would be much appreciated. thanks for your time! :)

addendum:
oh, i've crossed out SuSE because i don't particularly enjoy the post-YAST thingy where the system recompiles(?)/updates a whole bunch of files for a minor change. as well, getting cinelerra to work there is such a hassle. i never got it to work there. :)

Well, I have no idea about the modem, but here's a link to a linux distro chooser test: http://www.zegeniestudios.net/ldc/index.php

Is this link your modem? Maybe that info will help you.

I'm not sure if you are able or can afford it but always look to buy a hardware modem v software modem. The best to get is an external modem, mostly all of those are hardware types.

yup, that's it, but i never got the modem to work outside windows. it's very weird since when i bought the modem, the box specifically mentioned that it supports the linux OS, but then i found it harder to install than the conexant one, which is a winmodem straight up and mentions it needed windows to run it on the box.

I think, not 100% sure, you need to recompile the kernel to include that type of modem.