laptop restart eth0 automatically on plugin or on awake like a desktop

[Mitchell Laks <mlaks@post.harvard.edu>]

Hi,

The following is a problem I have on all laptops, I dont know how to configure to connect when the ethernet cable is attached.

I have an ibook laptop (it is a powerpc system running squeeze) and when i plug in the ethernet cord I find that I have to log into a terminal or console
and become superuser and 

run ifdown eth0;
ifup eth0 

to get connectivity to my local lan. 

I have a stanza in the /etc/network/interfaces that configures the eth0.

Now I have many desktop machines and there whenever I plug in an ethernet card it automatically starts  and configures eth0
without any manual intervention. "Magically" my kernel puts a message to my console 
for instance

skge eth0: Link is down
or a message
skge eth0: Link is up at 100Mbps. full duplex, flow control both

Now the Laptop seems to be having assigning  control of this to  pm-utils on the laptop.

How to configure it to  automatically connect via eth0 if i plug it in, or if it is connected and the machine is reawoken from  hibernation?

This is on  laptops I try that I have this problem.

Thanks
Mitchell Laks