l have an ethernet modem-router but no ethernet card. Does anyone know if l can use an external ethernet card [l don't want to install anything internal].
lt has USB of course, but you know the configuration problems with that.

through windows without a problem, but in linux its becomes alot harder.

I dont have a highest amount of experience with linux and hardware, but i had a pretty good shot a getting an old adsl modem to connect via usb, it didnt even hint that it was going to work.

If you insist, then google some products your local shop has and see if anyone has had any luck with it, or try the linux live cd's...

An internal network card is easy to install, shouldnt cost much, and will take you less than two minutes. Your going to need one sooner or later...

other things to consider is, its better to check your linux distribution hardware compatibility list. that way your sure that's it going to work in your linux system.
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Any sort of external ethernet adaptor you use has to connect back to the PC in some manner, usually USB. I agree with myth, PCI cards are easy to install and many are picked up by Linux without a lot of configuration needed. Check with the manufacturer and there might even be Linux-specific drivers available. There are USB to ethernet adaptors, but it sounds like you've had problems with USB, and besides, they aren't very dependable anyway, especially with USB 1.1.

hi,
i have both a pcmcia and an usb ethernet adapter on my laptop. PCMCIA is detected both in windows and in linux. i use slackware 10.1, but you should be ok because kernel 2.6 detects and loads "most" (all i've worked with) of the usb<->eth adaptors.

if you don-t want to open up the computer, your best / only choice is to buy an usb adapter. i have a conceptornics SP100U. works great with slack. in windows, unfortunately, you need drivers ... "windows... the plug'n play OS "

if u need anything drop me a line.