I've recently switched from Redhat to Slackware, and everything has gone smoothly except for getting my internet connection to work. Redhat automatically detected my cable modem and everything worked without me doing anything. This is not the case in Slackware.
I've tried running netconfig several times, and I'm pretty sure that I should be using DHCP server.

Hostname: dest
Domain name: roygbiv
IP address: (use DHCP server)
Netmask: (use DHCP server)
Gateway: (use DHCP server)
Nameserver: (use DHCP server)

This doesn't work, however. I'm almost entirely certain that DHCP server is what I want though.
I am using cable internet.

Is it possible that the drivers for my ethernet card or whatever else aren't installed? If so, how do I find out if this is the problem, and/or fix it?

I'm a newbie, sorry.

You may be better off editing /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1.conf

In there you probably only need to fill in the values for eth0

You need to refer to your ISP or your modem/router info to the values for your
for PCs IP address and the gateway address.

Check your boot messages with
dmesg | less

Bertie Coopersmith

# config information for eth0
IPADDR[0]=""
NETMASK[0]=""
USE_DHCP[0]="yes"
DHCP_HOSTNAME[0]=""


--
Redhat detected and set everything up peachy keen, so does windows, and so does my mac connected to the same service.
What do you suggest I change any of the above values to?
I want to avoid being on the phone with my ISP, because I don't much care for being on hold for hours.

Is there any way for me to check and make sure that all hardware involved with my internet connection is installed and their drivers are running fine?

"lsmod" typed at the command line should tell you what drivers are installed. At least that command works with mandrake. Not sure bout slackware.
Thats a lower case L at the beginning of the command.

You may have to be root to run lsmod. In case you dont know the easy way, just type "su" at a command line then you will be prompted for your root password.

Your Slackware 9.1 should have lots of documentation. Whether that got onto your hard disk
depends on the options you chose with the installation, but normally you will find the stuff
in /usr/doc (Else it will be on your Slackware CDROM). You should take a look at
/usr/doc/Ethernet-HOWTO.

Nowadays most people load their network card driver as a module. If so, its name will be
displayed in the output of the lsmod command.

If you dont like editing configuration files the command ifconfig (normally run as part of
the Slackware setup) will enter a dialog to do it. The problem is that you may not understand
what ifconfig is asking you! the command 'man ifconfig' will tell you definitively what ifconfig
requires but that itself is not easy to understand.

Your netmask value should be "255.255.255.0". The other values depend upon how your
modem/router is set up and what your ISP requires.

You need to do quite a lot of reading now but when youve done it you will be surprized at
how little configurational stuff is actually needed to make it all work.
Good luck, Bertie.