Using RedHat 7.3, when I try to activate my nic I receive an error- unable to activate eth0. It recognized my nic correctly- SIS900, I set the configuration to using dhcp and have tried connecting through my router as well as direct, and I receive the same error. I am a complete newbie to linux, where does one even start to troubleshoot? or are there any fixes or walkthroughs someone can post. Thanks in advance.

how do you know that your card is correctly recognized?

did you try the command

#]: /sbin/./ifconfig

What does this yield?
did you just do a fresh Redhat 7.3 install?, or did it work before, and not anymore?

Here is also a walkthrough, that you might want to check out:
http://www.linux.org/docs/ldp/howto/Ethernet-HOWTO.html

By the way, you card SiS900 IS Very well supported by linux, just so you know, so your problem sounds a little odd.

If you can post the commands and errors you get from the command line, that would be most helpful!, thanks.

zLinuxz

Thanks for the response, but where do I run the command
#]: /sbin/./ifconfig ? Once again, I'm a total newb to linux. A response would be greatly appreciated.

open a console, or terminal if that's the term RH uses - it will be in your graphical main menu somewhere.

then change to root, by typing

su

at the prompt, enter, then type the root passwd.

type 'exit' when you no longer need root privelages - it's best to not run as root unless necessary.

Ok, i ran the /sbin/./ifconfig command and here is what displayed

lo
Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1
Rx Packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
Tx Packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:3296(3.2kb) TX bytes:3296(3.2kb)

Hope this helps you help me.
I await any reply. Thanks in advance.

this means that your card is not up yet...
its showing only the lookback address

#i am not sure abt this but give a try..

#ifup eth0
and check wether its up...

Can anybody else help with this issue, please see my posts earlier for any information you need in assisting. Thanks in advance.

yeah Natrone, in the same way you ran /sbin/./ifconfig

you need to run this following command

/sbin/./ifup eth0


after you do that, you will see your system try to use dhcp to get automatic ip for your computer, through ethernet.

run it, and then post what you get!, cool.

zLinuxz

Okay ran /sbin/./ifup eth0 and here is what I got:

sis900 device does not seem to be present, delaying initialization.

Now what? Help. Do I need a driver for this?, or are there some other commands to initialize my nic?

Does it matter that I'm running threw a router at this time?

Thanks in advance.

You do need a driver loaded. The driver is named sis900, and you can try to load it manually with the following command:

modprobe sis900

If you get no errors, try the ifup command after that. If you get no errors from that, run the ifconfig command and see if your network card appears (if you only have 1 net card it will be called "eth0").

If you do get errors, you might have a resource (IRQ and/or IO address) conflict. You can find some suggestions for resolving those issues here.

Yes, it could. Is the router configured to be the DHCP server?

When I ran the modprobe sis900 command I received a bunch of text with beginning with

/lib/modules/2.4.18-3/kernel/drivers/net/sis900.o: init_module: No such device

Was there something I was supposed to do before running the modprobe command? I warned you that I was a newbie!!!

Did you try any of the suggestions regarding resource conflicts in the link I posted? If not, check them out.

DMR You are the man, thanks to your Post, as unrealted may it seem, I was able to make my Wireless builtin network card in my laptop WORK!!!!, WOOHOOOOO, I'm happy!!!, yeah, yeha, yeah!!!!

And, Natrone, I hope you are shortly on your way to setup the sis900 card. DMR is doing a great job in helping you.

Let us know what happens!,

hmmm, Natrone, just another question

you never answered my question in regard to, if you had made a new Redhat installation?, or not?

you could be saving lots of head eggs if you configure your network by doing an Upgrade if you boot with a Redhat CD after you reboot your computer...and then you can select to upgrade, and the installation will detect your card and install it if you follow the installation instructions.

Thanks zLinuxz- appreciation for our help is the only pay we get here! We've all learned this the hard way- why not make it easier for those just starting out

Speaking of which:

So others can benefit from what you've gone through, can you tell us exactly what did the trick? Since these threads are archived, if you posted that here you can save other Newbies from possible hours of frustration.