How do I get an internet connection on my newly reformatted laptop?

I just reformatted my lap top and I want to get an internet connection on it. I have linksys but its not installed on my computer. In order to do that I need to download it off the internet. I tried plugging the laptop directly into the modem but im not sure what to do from there. HELP!How do I get an internet connection on my newly reformatted laptop?
Once you do a format you need to download and install all drivers for your hardware, like the wireless board (wifi board) nic card (interface via Ethernet cable), etc...