hello there,
if u can help me out,please do.my modem is a d-link 56kbps modem ,it works fine with windows os but it is not being detected in linux.same is the case with the sounds.i am unable to hear sounds or music from my desktop speakers but the sounds are responding from within the cpu tower(only beeps).please help me .

i am very desperate and exasperated.

Is your modem a pci slot one or external (or ISA)? You may find that you have a winmodem, specifically designed to work in windows and it will have drivers for it. If it is, what type does it say it is in windows (i.e. HCF? HSP?). If you find out then goto http://www.linmodems.org and have look at the website for help.

This is only if you have a 'winmodem' or 'softmodem'!

I had precisely the same problems that you do.

Unfortunately, it turned out that my Dell factory-installed modem is a so-called "Winmodem," which is completely incompatible with Linux. (I actually had to go out and buy a new U.S. Robotics external modem.)

As far audio goes, my situation was the same too. My sound card is a Turtle Beach Santa Cruz (factory-installed by Dell). No driver for this sound card exists for Linux at all! (Unless I decide to write it.) Thus, I enjoy no sound on my Linux system.

Let this be a warning to all. Anybody who has any desire to run Linux should be very careful in what hardware they are buying. (Many people give the false impression that most of the latest PC hardware will be inherently Linux compatible. Unfortunately, not so.)

Ben