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A.3 Ethernet parameters

Ethernet parameters

Most ethernet drivers accept parameters to specify a base IO address and an IRQ as follows:

io=base_addr irq=irq

For example, for a 3com 3c509 ethernet card located at IO address 210 (IO addresses are usually in hexadecimal) and IRQ 10, use the following parameters for the 3c509 driver:

io=0x210 irq=10

You can use multiple ethernet cards in one machine. If each card uses a different driver (e.g., 3c509 and a DE425), you simply need to add aliases (and possibly options) for each card to /etc/conf.modules; for example:

alias eth0 3c509
options 3c509 io=0x210 irq=10
alias eth1 de4x5
options de4x5 io=0

See Section 8.6 for more information.

However, if any two ethernet cards use the same driver (e.g., two 3c509's or a 3c595 and a 3c905), you will need to compile a custom kernel with the ethernet driver built in. In that case, you will need to use ``classic'' LILO boot: parameters of the form:

ether=irq,base_addr,interface

For example:

LILO boot: linux ether=10,0x210,eth0 ether=11,0x300,eth1

(For more information about using more than one ethernet card, see the Multiple-Ethernet mini-HOWTO.)


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