/etc/network/interfaces and unique identifiers for NICs

[Adam Lydick <adam.lydick@verizon.net>]

Is there a way to associate a MAC or device type (wireless vs. ethernet)
with entries in /etc/network/interfaces? My laptop is configured to
disable the ethernet hardware onboard if the cable is disconnected, thus
eth0 and eth1 are often interchanged. Also, the driver used for a given
card will change the name given to the interface (wlan0 vs. eth1).

Is there a way to ID a nic via the MAC address (in
/etc/network/interfaces) so that I am not bound to the whims of
device/driver activation order?

Thanks,

Adam