Configuring USB net device

[Winton Roseland <woroseland@yahoo.com>]

I purchased a linksys usb200m because I read it was
supported by the kernel (I had
Knoppix with 2.6.11.8). I then discovered that the
chip and device ID used had changed
so my usbnet module would not recognize it.  I found a
patch for the 2.6.14.2 asix 
module that would allow it to support the new usb200m.
 I got the kernel, added the
patch and used make-kpkg to create a new kernel
package (I had difficulty determining
what the normal kernel configuration is for Debian). 
It installed OK, but I am
having difficulty getting it configured. I would like
to use it inplace of my
current NIC, but was trying to have them both
available during the configuration.
>From ifconfig:
eth0      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr
00:13:10:5E:38:EB
          BROADCAST MULTICAST  MTU:1500  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:1000
          RX bytes:0 (0.0 b)  TX bytes:0 (0.0 b)

eth1      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr
00:C0:F0:77:D1:D2
          inet addr:192.168.254.5 
Bcast:192.168.254.255  Mask:255.255.255.0
          inet6 addr: fe80::2c0:f0ff:fe77:d1d2/64
Scope:Link
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500 
Metric:1
          RX packets:672 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0
frame:0
          TX packets:802 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0
carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
          RX bytes:425727 (415.7 KiB)  TX bytes:120725
(117.8 KiB)
          Interrupt:11 Base address:0xd800

lo        Link encap:Local Loopback
          inet addr:127.0.0.1  Mask:255.0.0.0
          inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:16436  Metric:1
          RX packets:333 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0
frame:0
          TX packets:333 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0
carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
          RX bytes:27675 (27.0 KiB)  TX bytes:27675
(27.0 KiB)

sit0      Link encap:IPv6-in-IPv4
          NOARP  MTU:1480  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:0 (0.0 b)  TX bytes:0 (0.0 b)

Eth0 and sit0 are the new device.  If I boot with the
net cable plugged 
into the usb200m I see some packets but the routing
table is empty.
If I boot plugged into eth1:
Kernel IP routing table
Destination     Gateway         Genmask         Flags
Metric Ref    Use Iface
192.168.254.0   *               255.255.255.0   U    
0      0        0 eth1
default         192.168.254.254 0.0.0.0         UG   
0      0        0 eth1

I have a router, so I was hoping the system's ip
address would be the same on either device, or that
the router would assign one.  I am going to move the
cable around
and verify that an address is not assigned to eth0
(there is no address in the
above dump from ifconfig, but the canle was not
attached to the usb200m.

I am not very knowlegdable of network set-ups, but
what I would like is:
1) When the cable is pluggedinto either device, that
the ip address is the same.  I know I can't do taht
and have both devices plugged in.
2) Have the routing table set up correctly for each
device. It is now OK when I boot to eth1 (my nic).
3) Have ifconfig maintain set up even if the device is
not used at boot.

How can I configure this so that it works?

Thanks,
Winton

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com