connecting my laptop to the internet

[ac]

MICHAEL WEAVER wrote:
> I have had a thought about getting my Internet connection tempoarily working
> in Ubuntu Edgy until I can get my desktop sorted out with Linux or buy a
> wireless Router for home use with my BT account and have both desktop and
> laptop machines networked.

I am not clear about this:
Do you have a working broadband internet connection at present at all?
Is your BT account a broadband one?
Why do you have to await getting your desktop machine sorted out?

> Is there a way of connecting my laptop using my BT Voyager Broadband MODEM

is this the modem which was supplied with the BT broadband account?
Does this modem have the *choice* of connection to the PC
a) via usb cable and/or
b) ethernet cable

it is easy to get connected via (b) although often a little more 
difficult (for beginners) via (a)

What is the type number of the modem?

> which someone at one of the Linux groups I attend did manage to get working
> on his laptop as he was able to access the web with it 

This person would be a good one to ask! - are you in contact with the 
LUG via a mailing list?

> which I normally use
> for my desktop machine 

[...]

hth
-- 
ac