ok this is the working eth1 config and then I paste the non working eth0 config --------------- myvox:~ # route -n Kernel IP routing table Destination Gateway Genmask Flags Metric Ref Use Iface 192.168.8.0 0.0.0.0 255.255.255.0 U 0 0 0 eth1 127.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 255.0.0.0 U 0 0 0 lo 0.0.0.0 192.168.8.1 0.0.0.0 UG 0 0 0 eth1 myvox:~ # ifconfig eth1 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:40:F4:09:9F:12 inet addr:192.168.8.102 Bcast:192.168.8.255 Mask:255.255.255.0 inet6 addr: fe80::240:f4ff:fe09:9f12/64 Scope:Link UP BROADCAST NOTRAILERS RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1 RX packets:1780 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0 TX packets:1947 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0 collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 RX bytes:599933 (585.8 Kb) TX bytes:210503 (205.5 Kb) myvox:~ # ifdown eth1 eth1 eth1 configuration: eth-id-00:40:f4:09:9f:12 myvox:~ # ifup eth0 eth0 device: nVidia Corporation CK804 Ethernet Controller (rev a3) eth0 configuration: eth-id-00:0c:76:50:d9:f0 myvox:~ # ifconfig eth0 eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:0C:76:50:D9:F0 inet addr:192.168.8.133 Bcast:192.168.8.255 Mask:255.255.255.0 inet6 addr: fe80::20c:76ff:fe50:d9f0/64 Scope:Link UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1 RX packets:1 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0 TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:111 overruns:0 carrier:0 collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 RX bytes:246 (246.0 b) TX bytes:0 (0.0 b) Interrupt:193 Base address:0x2000 myvox:~ # route -n Kernel IP routing table Destination Gateway Genmask Flags Metric Ref Use Iface 192.168.8.0 0.0.0.0 255.255.255.0 U 0 0 0 eth0 169.254.0.0 0.0.0.0 255.255.0.0 U 0 0 0 eth0 127.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 255.0.0.0 U 0 0 0 lo 0.0.0.0 192.168.8.1 0.0.0.0 UG 0 0 0 eth0 myvox:~ # myvox:~ # ping 192.168.8.1 PING 192.168.8.1 (192.168.8.1) 56(84) bytes of data. --- 192.168.8.1 ping statistics --- 2 packets transmitted, 0 received, 100% packet loss, time 1009ms myvox:~ # ifconfig eth0 192.168.8.2 netmask 255.255.255.0 myvox:~ # ifconfig eth0 eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:0C:76:50:D9:F0 inet addr:192.168.8.2 Bcast:192.168.8.255 Mask:255.255.255.0 inet6 addr: fe80::20c:76ff:fe50:d9f0/64 Scope:Link UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1 RX packets:1 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0 TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:111 overruns:0 carrier:0 collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 RX bytes:246 (246.0 b) TX bytes:0 (0.0 b) Interrupt:193 Base address:0x2000 myvox:~ # route -n Kernel IP routing table Destination Gateway Genmask Flags Metric Ref Use Iface 192.168.8.0 0.0.0.0 255.255.255.0 U 0 0 0 eth0 127.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 255.0.0.0 U 0 0 0 lo myvox:~ # ping 192.168.8.1 PING 192.168.8.1 (192.168.8.1) 56(84) bytes of data. --- 192.168.8.1 ping statistics --- 2 packets transmitted, 0 received, 100% packet loss, time 999ms myvox:~ # so the default route did not come up