"3C509XX not present on eth0, deferring configuration"
 

I bought a Tuxtop laptop (IBM Thinkpad 700 Series) and the network (eth0) worked fine with a REDHAT 8.0 installation and a PCMCIA 3C509 series ethernet card that came w/ the machine.

I loaned out my PCMCIA 3C509xx and when I got it back I might have gotten back a different one than I loaned out (no one can remember, and we've cycled through all the candidates, but none work).
There is a 3C509AB, 3C509ET etc.

Now on boot I get the error message
"3C509XX not present on eth0, deferring configuration". I can't ping
or do anything on the network.

I also get a regularly blinking link light on my hub now (not flickering as it does with data transfer, or solid on, but flashing, like an error code).

It is hard to download drivers or anything else since I have no net connection. Is there a text file I can edit to make the machine recognize a 3C509 series card that may not be the one it started with? I welcome suggestions on how I can begin to debug or fix this.

I know my hub and network is functioning in general, and I've got all the IP addresses, routers, gateways, DNS etc. correct.