My guess is that the card is in isapnp mode when powered on. The kernel
device probe then kicks the card out of isapnp mode into some default
mode.

Maybe the device line in the kernel config file is not 100% for this
'default mode'- sometimes the IRQ may be wrong and you end up with a
dysfunctional card that probes and sometimes ifconfigs if you're lucky.

Do you have any of the DOS utilities that came with these type cards to
disable isapnp? The utilities may help to lock the card into a defined
config, though some cards won't lock at all.

I think if you compile a kernel with isapnp - you end up with the problem
I described before... better not to go there at all.

Gotta love ISAPNP - the ultimate hack for the computer illiterate masses...

--et

> Weird, since I don't have isapnp in the kernel. I wonder if trying a
> kernel
> with isapnp would make a difference (and the ep0 configured to attach to
> isapnp, of course..)
>
> -Sean