Linux working only rebooting the system from windows XP

[mabattis]

I have noticed that ubuntu 9.10 (but also other distro and in general those that configure the network automatically at startup) crashed if my pc boot directly with a linux kernel at power on.
This does not happen if the first boot is done with windows xp and then rebooting the pc and choosing the same linux kernel.
Some distro (for example SysrescueCD) that does not configure the network at startup can work but also with these if I try to configure the network using the command ifconfig eth0 ... the system crashes.
My network card is a SiS191 Ethernet and linux recognized it using sis190 module.
I suppose that something happen during the first power on, some inizialization done with windows xp but does not done with linux in fact after a reboot made from windows xp without shutdown the pc, with Linux I can configure the network using ifconfig without crash.
Any ideas to solve this without have to boot always windows as first?

[scathefire]

How To Create The Sis191 Gigabit Ethernet Driver On Linux 2.6 | HowtoForge - Linux Howtos and Tutorials

This article is dated, but it may solve your problem. Otherwise toss the NIC.

[mabattis]

Thanks for link but this doesn't solved the issue because the module sis190 seems to be correctly loaded using the usual command modprobe. Furthermore lspci returns the correct address SiS968 ISA bridge [1039:0965] working with module; the only difference is rev48 instead rev01 as shown in the article.
The system crashes only when I try to configure the network ip address using ifconfig or dhcp and this crash happen only if the linux kernel is loaded as first booting system; it doesn't happen rebooting by windows XP, I would avoid this passage.
Please have you any ideas?