You can use a program called NDISWrapper. It will use the Windows driver for your network card and allow it to be used in Linux.
Yes.
Microsoft does not make a messenger for Linux. However, several Linux clients can connect to the Windows Live Messenger network, such as Pidgin, Kopete, and aMSN.
No. Use samba to interface to the Windows network.
UNIX, Microsoft Windows, and Linux ARE network operating systems.
Networking in Linux is just like networking in windows. If you are using a debian based distribution then you can use network manager to select a wireless network. If you are talking about networking as in communicating with a windows machine you can use sanba the program for that.
Windows or Linux would be the best choice.
both in Linux (well most non-minimal distros anyways...) and windows, should be ping IP.Here in the console... (ex: Microsoft Windows XP: start >> run >> cmd >> ping www.google.com Ubuntu linux: Applications >> Accessories >> Terminal >> ping www.google.com )
There is no such thing as a "Linux" network. Linux uses the standard TCP/IP protocol for most modern networking purposes. This protocol is also used on Windows and Mac OS X. On any network with a working DHCP server the process is as simple as connecting to the router.
if you are asking will my modem in my computer be detected without having an internet connection. Yes, you computer should auto detect that a modem is present. Now that doesn't mean that windows/linux/Mac will have the drivers you need to be able to use your hardware.
Microsoft Windows,OS X, Linux, andFreeBSD
I suggest installing Windows, and then Linux (preferably on different physical hard drives). When Windows is installed it tends to overwrite the boot partition, making it difficult to boot linux afterwards.
Samba is the open source implementation of Microsoft's "Server Message Block" protocol. This is the protocol Windows uses for file and print sharing. Samba is therefore primarily meant for interoperability between Linux and Windows on the same network so Windows can access shares on a Linux machine. Samba is also useful for non-Windows devices that only ever assume what you will run is Windows on your network. Consumer-level media devices like Blu-Ray players that allow streaming of media from your computer are especially guilty of this.