# i might have forgotten to add driver for eth0

## kaveh420

I think I forgot to add support in the kernel for my NIC card or even compile a module. Do I have to start all over again? I have a NETGEAR FA312 card. The livecd detected it automatically I didn't even need to run pci-setup. Do you think I can compile the version on the netgear website designed for Redhat 7.1 running the 2.4 kernel? Please help!

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## DecoY

The only thing you have to do is rebuild your kernel (this time with support for your NIC ).

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## fleed

You can also build it as a module then modprobe it and I'm pretty sure it would work without needing a reboot.

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## jondkent

Yup you can definiately build it as a module and then modprobe it into the kernel.  If you want to keep it as a module you need to add it to the /etc/modules.autoload file to ensure that it is loaded automatically on the next reboot.

If this network card is always used though it is probably better to build support into the kernel.

Jon

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## Proteus

Please...

I got the same card.

I thought I knew which drivers to use but there are still a lot of problems all the time, I cannot even reach my router.

When I boot Windows98 SE there is no problem at all...

So, what driver should I use? Is there anything special to observe?

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## rac

Google tells me that natsemi.c (National Semiconductor DP8381x series PCI Ethernet support) is the appropriate driver for the Netgear FA312.

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## phong

Here's the steps you should take if you want to compile that as a module and not have to reboot (starting assuming you're in /usr/src/linux):

```
# make menuconfig (turn on your network card with M for module)

# make dep

# make modules modules_install

# nano /etc/modules.autoload (add your network card module)

# modprobe (the name of your network card module)

# /etc/init.d/net.eth0 start
```

That's assuming that you've configured /etc/conf.d/net.

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## fleed

Just out of curiosity, would using an alias in /etc/modules.conf also work for next boot? For example, would 

```

alias eth0 tulip

```

be enough?

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## mooman

Don't feel bad.  It looks like I did the same thing.  Finally got the kernel to compile and when I boot it, I got the messages about eth0 and tulip...

Turns out tulip didn't even get compiled.  I found the tulip.c and tulip.h files and made a few feeble stabs at 'make', but I keep getting strange errors about "/usr/src/linux/scripts/pathdown.sh: permission denied", so I think I just need to go back and set my menuconfig options right this time...

But hey.. this is progress.  at least it's not locking up on the uhci.c and usb stuff like it was (when I was still using the gentoo-sources set)  If I can just get a working module I know I can troubleshoot away any IP issues.  Been doing network tech support off and on for almost a decade.  :Smile: 

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