I'm running Mandriva2006, and I was trying to set up a Samba server on eth0 so as a laptop running WindowsXP could use the CUPS printing service on my machine. I also set up a ppp0 connection to my ISP - for obvious reasons.

However, at startup, only the most recently created interface would work. So, suppose I created the eth0 interface, then the ppp0 interface. At boot, both eth0 and ppp0 start up alright, but if I use NetApplet to stop the ppp0 connection and start the eth0 connection, nothing happens. ppp0 dies, but eth0 just sits there, dead. So, if I want eth0 to work, I have to remove the current interface, and create a new one. And only then will it work.

What's more, neither interface will work at the same time as each other. My dad says that there shouldn't be any issue with multiple network interfaces running simultaneously.

I thought that perhaps an update would fix the problem (as Mandriva2006.0 shipped with a lot of developmental apps), but it didn't.

EDIT: When a network interface IS working, it's working flawlessly - what I want is to have BOTH networking interfaces running at the same time, so I can use the internet, and allow anyone on the laptop to print something, without having to destroy and re-build network interfaces.

Try starting ppp0 first then eth0 but instead of using the netapplet to start eth0 try the via console command i.e.:
ifconfig 192.168.0.1 netmask 255.255.255.0 up (for example)

Alright, thanks for the reply, michaelk.

Question, though, why start ppp0 before eth0?

I'm not a networking expert and never really looked into how rp-ppoe works but it won't establish a connection if eth0 is already up.

Really...that's interesting. As I'm watching my computer boot up, I noticed that my networking protocols are started up in this order: eth0, sit0 (I have NO idea what this one's for, but it's created automatically), and last but not least, ppp0.

*shrug*

Thanks for all your help michaelk.