It probably depends more on what you've connected it to than anything
else.   I've had some trouble with DE500 boards if I try to connect
them directly to other DE500s or Intel EtherExpress cards with a null
ethernet cable - it seems that their autosense algorithms clash with
each other.   If I force one card into a specific mode, everything
starts working.   As Matt (the author of the driver!) points out, if
it's stuck in OACTIVE, it's probably autosensing.

Matt's driver runs on FreeBSD, NetBSD and BSD/os, so I doubt that what
you're seeing is a NetBSD-specific problem.   And you can always point
that out to your smug FreeBSD weenie "friends" when they razz you
about it... :')

			       _MelloN_