[wplug] 'I surrender'

[Bob Melder]

Hi:



I like Linux but have given up trying to get on the Internet with my recently purchased SuSE 9.2.

 

At the outset, let me first explain that when Adelphia hooked me up to its high-speed Internet service, the tech used a USB port and didn't install an Ethernet card. (Keep this in mind as I proceed.)

 

The plot:

 

1) I'm a newbie, but after a while I got SuSE 9.2 installed and working internally. However, I couldn't connect with the Internet.

 

2) Called Adelphia, a SuSE support address (got a guy in England) and some other knowledgeable people and basically was told I needed drivers so my Terayon modem could talk to my computer,

 

3) Checked with the Terayon website and found this out from a Q&A page:

 

QUESTION 7. Where can I download drivers for Linux?

ANSWER: We don't support Linux so there are no drivers. If you use Ethernet as your connection you won't need drivers and it will work.

 

QUESTION 14. I have connected my Terayon modem to an Ethernet card inside my computer. Where can I download the Ethernet drivers for my modem?

ANSWER: You can't. There is really no such thing as an "Ethernet driver" for a cable modem. Only USB drivers for USB connections. NOTE: Your Ethernet card itself will need its own driver in order to function. The card should have come with its own floppy disc or CD ROM with the drivers on it. If your computer came with an Ethernet card already installed, and you need to re-install the drivers for the card, contact the manufacturer of your computer for assistance.

 

My D-Link DFE-530TX+ PCI Fast Ethernet card DID come with a CD-Rom disk and after a lot of messing around and with some help from a tech at Adelphia got the damn thing to work on Windows after disconnecting the USB line. I thanked her and then tried to get it to work on SuSE.  No luck. I can see all the icons listed on the DVD disk on my Linux screen when I put in my CD-ROM but can't get them into the system or for the system to even recognize them. On Windows, a screen asks if you want to Install Drivers and you click on that, shut down the computer, install the ethernet card, reboot, and finish the installation from there. This doesn't happen on the Linux side of the computer. Of course, I can't get Email either.

 

Conclusion: I love Linux but at this point I'm waving the white flag. The whole trip cost me about $125 and a lot of time and effort.

 

I'm convinced there is one small thing I failed to do or someone forgot to tell me to do. However, I'm also convinced that because Linux is not supported with the same gusto that Windows is, installing any Linux distribution makes it difficult for the average person to get on board. And, it would help if Internet providers made it a little easier of us.



I'm not extremely computer literate. However, I'm not stupid either. I've replaced boards, chips and transformers in computers and can navigate in Windows comfortably enough to do what I have to do. If I wanted to do more I'm sure I could find a way.

 

So, the moral of this tale is: Linux is great, but for newcomers, more help and corporate support is needed.

 

Thanks for listening.

 

Robert
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