Problems Configuring network on installation

[Dan Berdine <db002i@mail.rochester.edu>]

Hi,
I'v been using Debian for a while, and I'm trying to help a friend install, 
and we want to install over the network.  We made the rescue, root, and 
drivers1 floppies and everything has gone smoothly up until the configuration 
of the network.  The machine (HP with a Pentium I, 64MB RAM, 3 partitions, 
windows(~900MB), linux native(~1000MB), and swap(128MB)) is on a university 
LAN and under windows and previous linux installations manually configuring 
the network has worked fine for the same machine.  However, after configuring 
the network we get a message saying the network is configured but not 
activated, and when attemptig to install the base system over network we are 
told we have to configure the network first.  The rtl8139 module included 
with the stable (4/8/01) floppy images is marked as having sucessfully 
installed, which we are almost 100% certain is the correct driver for this 
network card because of previous problems.

Is there some key step we are missing, or is this just some fluke of the 
network or the card itself?

Thanks greatly,

-Dan