--- net.eth0.old	2003-11-17 15:13:53.000000000 +0100
+++ net.eth0	2003-11-19 09:54:45.000000000 +0100
@@ -32,8 +32,7 @@
 	dhcpcd_IFACE="$(eval echo \$\{dhcpcd_${iface}\})"
 	inet6_IFACE="$(eval echo \$\{inet6_${iface}\})"
 	alias_IFACE="$(eval echo \$\{alias_${iface}\})"
-	status_IFACE="$(ifconfig | gawk -v IFACE="${iface}" '/Link/ { if ($1 == IFACE) print "up" }')"
-	carrier_IFACE="$(ifconfig | gawk -v IFACE="${iface}" '/RUNNING/ { if ($1 == IFACE) print "running" }')"
+	status_IFACE="$(ifconfig ${iface} | gawk '/UP/ { print "up" }')"
 	vlans="$(eval echo \$\{iface_${IFACE}_vlans\})"
 }
 
@@ -62,8 +61,15 @@
 		# Check that eth0 was not brough up by the kernel ...
 		if [ "${status_IFACE}" != "up" ]
 		then
+			# Bring up the interface to enable check for carrier
+			/sbin/ifconfig ${IFACE} up >/dev/null || {
+				retval=$?
+				eend ${retval} "Failed to bring ${IFACE} up"
+				return ${retval}
+			}
 			# Check that the interface has a carrier
-			if [ "${carrier_IFACE}" = "running" ]
+			/sbin/ifconfig ${IFACE} |grep -q 'RUNNING' >/dev/null
+			if [ $? -eq 0 ]
 			then
 				/sbin/dhcpcd ${dhcpcd_IFACE} ${IFACE} >/dev/null || {
 					retval=$?
@@ -71,6 +77,7 @@
 					return ${retval}
 				}
 			else
+				/sbin/ifconfig ${IFACE} down >/dev/null
 				eend 1 "${IFACE} is not plugged in or has no carrier signal"
 				return 1
 			fi