I dont know how to query a modem in Ubuntu, but follow these steps:
-Open Terminal
-type 'su' and press enter then enter password
-type 'pppconfig'
-Select create a new connection
-Follow instructions
-When you come across a page asking to which port your modem is connected and no port appears in the list, you can bet your modem is not installed and you will have to get to the URL I provided above.