Right before i start i have to say that i know nothing about linux, this is the first time i have installed it. so plz bear with me

I have just installed Mandrake 10 and the install picked up most of my hardware. I think it has found my conexant adsl modem as i can find it in the hardware config screen but the modem will not connected to the net.

The drivers in linux and in windows split the device into two parts, the adsl modem and some arbitury device. The second is the one that linux can do anything with, it says the device is "null" and i cant access any of the settings to set it up.

i have drivers for the card on the disc that came with it but they dont support mand 10 as far as i can see, and also as far as i understand linux driver installs are alot more complex then windows (windows have one file to runb and the rest is done for you)

Could someone plz explain to me how i install the correct drivers and setup the modem to connected to my isp.

Any help would be great and if ou need more info i will try to supply it to the best of my abilities.

Cheers all in advance

The question of this chipset is so frequent and often a whole site should be dedicated to those
who want to load these dumb boards (passive, no processor, use your machine code and processor time.)

A health warning should be issued with the connexant chips, since they want to charge for the software to run their chip on Linux machines.
The total cost exceeds the cost of an adsl router now.

The simplest solution is to use a router with Linux, always on, switch machines, reboot and change operating systems at any time.

thanks for that, but i cant afford to get a router at the moment.

Why do they charge for the drivers when they supplied drivers with the disc when i bought it?

Is there no simple way to get this modem working until i can afford to get a router or a second pc setup as a gateway?

The drivers are for Windoze, because windoze needs drivers.

Linux has the drivers and the applications built-in so they are as different as chalk and cheese.

The reason the driver is not built-in is I suspect

1. the passive chipset manufacturer wants to penilize you for using Linux

2. Linux and windoze code originates from unix, the chip manufacturer doesn't understand in the EU, UK and many places he is restraining trade.

Could be he wants you to get all the worms and virus's that you get with windoze, or worse still has introduced code in his driver that you would rather not have.

Perhap's such code spreads the gospel of protectionism and your desire to introduce unknown code will make everyone suffer in the long run.

Get a router and flog your card to a windoze user, they just love to work harder and pay for the privilege.