Newbie --Admin access problem... HELP!!

[Faithful John]

Hi all,
I'm a relative newbie who's been using the debian sarge.   I recently
have been trying to install kubuntu on my friends laptop.   She wants
to use linux as a primary system (she doesn't like micro$oft).  
Anyway, when I was installing kubuntu off a disc, the network
connections did not set up properly.   Anyway, I have no connection to
the internet on that laptop and so I am having lots of trouble
updating the thing.   I dont even have admin acess.   I know it's a
bug, and it's been reported, but I can't make any sense of the advice
people give.   Either it doesn't seem to work, or there isn't enough
information for a newbie to follow the instructions.

I don't even know where to start to get it going, especially since I
can't get admin access.
Selam