> Perhaps somebody can help me with this strange problem:
> I'm trying to set up a diskless i386 with a 3com590 PCI
> ethernet card.

3c595 works fine with NetBSD-1.2/i386 diskless configuration in my site.
So, I suppose 3c590 works too.

- Do you set up the card correctly by 3c5*cfg.exe utility ?
  especially interface type (BNC/AUI/UTP)
- Does your kernel configured with proper interface type ?
  To achieve this, currently kernel patch is requied.
  (ifp->if_flags, IFF_LINK[01] bit)
  I hope ep driver becomes to use interface which is selected by
  3c5*cfg.exe utility, instead of selected by ifconfig command, 
  by default.
--
soda