Hi,
Any ADSL that is driver independant is probably going to be better. The Alcatel depends on OS X drivers. I recently bought the Ericsson HM220d, which has both USB and ethernet port and connecting through the ethernet is very simple in Mac OS X. I linked up using the ethernet cable to my Mac (still beige G3) and then used Internet Explorer to log into the modem (fixed address) and configure it for the service provider here in Iceland, according to the parameters they gave me). the modem updated the settings and there it was, broadband delight.
I now have added an ethernet switching hub, and can plug in multiple computers (PC and Mac) by just connecting up the ethernet cables. This was really easy for me to set up, and since the modem has a built in router as well, IP numbers are automatically assigned to the different computers in the network, and I can connect between the macs on the network with no problems for file sharing etc.
The Ericsson is a nice modem, and it also comes with a pipe-lock button, so when you are away, the press of a single button locks out any outsiders, if you are worried about that.
Andrew