[ale] "pump -i eth0", now dysfunctional,... huh ?

[Courtney Thomas]

 Under 2.4.17.x I was using "pump -i eth0" to put my NIC in dhcp mode and
all
 was well.

 I have now upgraded to "testing", i.e. [2.6.17-2-k7] and now pump won't
 function. In fact it puts the network down, which I bring back up with
"networking restart" and
 after which I can ping out onto the web by dotted-quad-addresses but not by
name, since
 dhcp mode is not functional because of the 'pump' dysfunction.

 Another anomaly in all this is:  I can't find the driver module [de620.o]
 anywhere on the system, but the NIC [D-Link 620] works 'cause I can ping
[by
 dotted-quad-addr] websites and LAN members.

 Also, when I "ifconfig eth0", I see that eth0 does not have my NIC's proper
 hardware address, i.e. aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff type addr., though it does have
some kind of addr which is
 much longer than a real address and makes no mention of the de620.

 de620 is listed in /etc/modules, but after bootup, "lsmod" reveals no
loaded
 module, but the NIC does work.

 I did not compile the above described kernel but rather installed the
 kernel-image... in which everything else seems to work OK.

 "dmesg" does not reveal that de620 is implemented, though there are musings
 about eth0.

 Question1 [MAIN]: how can I implement this box as a dhclient, which
 conceivably could sidestep the de620 issue, since I CAN ping
dotted-quad-addresses  ?

 Question2: how is the NIC implemented, compiled-in in some way  ?  How,
 since there's no bootup msg saying this, in dmesg  ?  If the NIC is not
compiled and
there's no module, how's it workin'   :-)

 Question3: why is the ifconfig eth0 output so strange and uncorresponding
to
 what formerly appeared,... but the NIC works ?

 I'll gladly publish all the formerly referenced output but would prefer
 first establishing a dhclient and see if that resolves the inability
 to browse the web, and then; if possibly profitable or necessary, publish.
 :-)  After all, I need dhclient anyway, and this may avoid all the other
issues.

 Appreciatively,
 Courtney