I hope someone can throw me a lifeline cos I'm sleep deprived and psychosis is taking over.
I have a 10/100 fast ethernet connection for which I can use the ethernet or a usb connection (Via technology VT6102 RhineII). Using Knoppix version 3.6 and 3.7 I can connect to the internet using the usb connection, but not using ethernet connection. At start-up with 3.6 or 3.7 if I have the usb connected the machine seems to recognize an eth0 and an eth1, but this doesn't happen if i have the ethernet connection or if i use 3.8 or 3.9. With 3.8 and 3.9 I can't seem to get a connection at all. I want to use 3.9. I have read through the forums and although I can't pretend to really understand I have tried the following so far with and without ethernet with no joy ( I've tried them all using the disk and the hard drive install. Feedback is an approximation ):

1 sudo modprobe natsemi (runs with ethernet but with usb i get a fatal error message as well as netsemi not installed)
pump (i get failed message)
ifconfig -a (get a printout which basically just gives me my loopback address 127.0.0.1)
ping www.ntlworld.com (gives a reply -unknown host whatever website i ping

2 netcardconfig with/without the ethernet i fed the addresses in and the code ran(different address depending on which one),but when I went to the browser didn't get a connection(feedback was either unknown host or wrong name)

3 sudo mii-tools -r feedback was invalid command

4 /etc/init.d/networking restart (or start) - failed

5 lspci -v, lsmod - computer lists my card

6 pppoe connection wizard - sorry couldn't resolve, maybe another ppoe running

7 nodhcp and acpi=off at boot - no joy

thank you and goodnight