Curiosity: I know websites and ISPs can determine what browser and OS you're using but do they know which flavor of that OS like Lubuntu, Kubuntu?

I ask because the process to activate my modem went through without a hitch in Ubuntu but didn't work in Bodhi Linux. It could have been because I wasn't using Firefox in Bodhi.

I'm using Bodhi Linux and my ISP is Comcast Xfinity by the way.

I'd guess all they can get is that you are using a linux version of some browser. Yes, some browser feature or extra like java and such may be needed.

Unless we knew more about what failed, I can't guess.

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I’d suspect this is the issue... not the flavor of Linux.

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#1 generally your browser provides some browser, version, and operating system information. Any site you visit can collect that data. Anything that detects that information in passing packets could possibly collect that information. I do not work for Xfinity/Comcast, so I cannot speak to what they know or do not know. IO wonder if they would CARE, and if so WHY?

#2 there is nothing forcing this information to be CORRECT. By default it is honest. Mine lies like a rug, and forgets the lie it told last and changes it's story every few minutes, but that is by intent. You must take steps to make your browsers lie.

#3 there are internet sites, apps, and browser extensions that allow you to suppress such information or make your browser lie. Seek, and DuckDuckGo shall find! ;-)

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That's what I figured. I guess trying Firefox next time is one way to find out.

This does not sound like an OS issue. How do you "activate" the modem? By default the ISP should have it set up as a DHCP server and you should automatically pull an IP address from the modem/router. I call it modem/router as it more than likely is a router, they just call it a modem as that is a more common term for the lay person.

Do you know what the internal IP of the modem is? Also fire it back up under Ubuntu and see what the gateway IP address is and attempt to log into that IP using any web browser.

Write down your IP scheme generated by the modem under Ubuntu (192.168.1.x, or 10.10.10.x, etc...) and when setting up Bodhi if the DHCP feature does not pull an IP, set a static to match what you had under Ubuntu.

Those are a few good places to start.

If your moden/router worked under Ubuntu, the settings for contacting the ISP will still work. It's the modem that makes the internet connection, not your computer. Your problem is with the LAN — Budhi is obviously having trouble linking to the router. To sort that out, we need to know exactly what you did and what happened.

I should have marked this thread as solved a long time ago. I was just wondering if I had to use a certain browser/OS combination like Firefox on Ubuntu. It looks like that's not the case. I plan on trying to Firefox on Bodhi Linux (my current OS) next time I "activate" a modem/router to see if it works.

I know it's not in an old school way. I just connect the PC to the router, try to visit a site, and a Comcast page loads up asking for my email address or phone number. I give it one of those things, they send a code, I enter it and my router is set up.

You can bring your own modem to some ISPs but it needs to be "activated". I did this with Spectrum and had to call them so they could add my modem's MAC to their ACL so I could get online.

Sometimes changing what's reported as the user agent (etc.) by the browser may not be enough to disguise your O/S.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TCP/IP...fingerprinting

TenTenths I'm not looking to disguise my OS. I just wonder if my ISP needs me to use a certain distro, if I'm going to use Linux, to get my router set up. I suppose I could ask them but I doubt tech support will even know what Linux is.

I don't have any further questions. So I'll mark this as solved.

Pretty sure it's the browser - they just see the OS as "Linux", or if you change the browser's user agent, they'll see whatever you want them to.

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