How to configure network setup during boot?

[Daan]

Hello,

I recently did a Lenny netinstall on my laptop, with the network cable plugged in. However, most of the times when the systems boots, there is no network cable, and time is lost waiting for an DHCP offer. (After I've logged into Gnome, I connect via wireless (on wlan0).)

I there to make Debian look for a DHCP offer only when there is a cable plugged in?

If there is no cable, can I make it connect via wireless during boot in stead?

Is it a good idea to make it connect via wireless during boot?

Wed Nov  5 20:38:49 2008: Setting up networking....
Wed Nov  5 20:38:49 2008: Configuring network interfaces...Internet Systems Consortium DHCP Client V3.1.1
Wed Nov  5 20:38:49 2008: Copyright 2004-2008 Internet Systems Consortium.
Wed Nov  5 20:38:49 2008: All rights reserved.
Wed Nov  5 20:38:49 2008: For info, please visit http://www.isc.org/sw/dhcp/
Wed Nov  5 20:38:49 2008: 
Wed Nov  5 20:38:49 2008: wmaster0: unknown hardware address type 801
Wed Nov  5 20:38:50 2008: wmaster0: unknown hardware address type 801
Wed Nov  5 20:38:50 2008: Listening on LPF/eth0/00:1b:38:f8:09:78
Wed Nov  5 20:38:50 2008: Sending on   LPF/eth0/00:1b:38:f8:09:78
Wed Nov  5 20:38:50 2008: Sending on   Socket/fallback
Wed Nov  5 20:38:51 2008: DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 8
Wed Nov  5 20:38:59 2008: DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 9
Wed Nov  5 20:39:08 2008: DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 20
Wed Nov  5 20:39:28 2008: DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 14
Wed Nov  5 20:39:42 2008: DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 10
Wed Nov  5 20:39:52 2008: No DHCPOFFERS received.
Wed Nov  5 20:39:52 2008: No working leases in persistent database - sleeping.
Wed Nov  5 20:40:01 2008: done.

[coopstah13]

try changing "auto eth0" to "allow-hotplug eth0" in your /etc/network/interfaces file

[Daan]

Thanks coopstah13. I removed "auto eth0" from the file. It already had "allow-hotplug eth0", so I did not add that.

Booting is now much faster.