Natty doesn't seem to work any better, unfortunately.

This is on a Dell PowerEdge 2950 with two BCM5708 onboard NICs and a dual-port Intel 82571EB expansion card.  PCI IDs of the network controllers:

~ # lspci -n | grep ' 0200:'
05:00.0 0200: 14e4:164c (rev 11)
09:00.0 0200: 14e4:164c (rev 11)
0c:00.0 0200: 8086:105e (rev 06)
0c:00.1 0200: 8086:105e (rev 06)

~ # uname -rvm
2.6.38-3-generic #30-Ubuntu SMP Thu Feb 10 00:33:26 UTC 2011 x86_64

And the relevant bits from the installer syslog:


Feb 15 01:33:07 netcfg[1590]: INFO: Starting netcfg v.1.60ubuntu2 (built 20110208-1933)
Feb 15 01:33:07 kernel: [   17.470248] e1000e 0000:0c:00.0: irq 105 for MSI/MSI-X
Feb 15 01:33:07 kernel: [   17.530073] e1000e 0000:0c:00.0: irq 105 for MSI/MSI-X
Feb 15 01:33:07 kernel: [   17.530634] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): eth0: link is not ready
Feb 15 01:33:08 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth0 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:08 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth0 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:08 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth0 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:08 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth0 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:09 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth0 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:09 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth0 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:09 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth0 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:09 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth0 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:10 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth0 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:10 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth0 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:10 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth0 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:10 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth0 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:10 netcfg[1590]: INFO: found no link on interface eth0.
Feb 15 01:33:10 netcfg[1590]: INFO: eth0 is not a wireless interface. Continuing.
Feb 15 01:33:11 kernel: [   21.060277] e1000e 0000:0c:00.1: irq 106 for MSI/MSI-X
Feb 15 01:33:11 kernel: [   21.120075] e1000e 0000:0c:00.1: irq 106 for MSI/MSI-X
Feb 15 01:33:11 kernel: [   21.120612] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): eth1: link is not ready
Feb 15 01:33:11 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth1 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:11 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth1 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:12 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth1 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:12 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth1 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:12 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth1 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:12 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth1 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:13 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth1 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:13 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth1 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:13 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth1 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:13 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth1 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:14 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth1 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:14 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth1 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:14 netcfg[1590]: INFO: found no link on interface eth1.
Feb 15 01:33:14 netcfg[1590]: INFO: eth1 is not a wireless interface. Continuing.
Feb 15 01:33:14 kernel: [   24.491652] bnx2 0000:09:00.0: irq 107 for MSI/MSI-X
Feb 15 01:33:14 kernel: [   24.671049] bnx2 0000:09:00.0: eth2: using MSI
Feb 15 01:33:14 kernel: [   24.671458] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): eth2: link is not ready
Feb 15 01:33:15 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth2 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:15 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth2 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:15 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth2 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:15 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth2 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:16 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth2 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:16 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth2 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:16 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth2 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:16 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth2 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:17 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth2 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:17 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth2 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:17 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth2 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:17 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth2 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:18 netcfg[1590]: INFO: found no link on interface eth2.
Feb 15 01:33:18 netcfg[1590]: INFO: eth2 is not a wireless interface. Continuing.

Feb 15 01:33:18 kernel: [   27.880097] bnx2 0000:05:00.0: irq 107 for MSI/MSI-X
Feb 15 01:33:18 kernel: [   28.080029] bnx2 0000:05:00.0: eth3: using MSI
Feb 15 01:33:18 kernel: [   28.080447] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): eth3: link is not ready
Feb 15 01:33:18 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth3 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:18 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth3 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:19 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth3 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:19 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth3 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:19 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth3 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:19 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth3 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:20 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth3 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:20 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth3 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:20 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth3 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:20 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth3 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:21 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth3 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:21 netcfg[1590]: INFO: ethtool-lite: eth3 is disconnected.
Feb 15 01:33:21 netcfg[1590]: INFO: found no link on interface eth3.
Feb 15 01:33:21 netcfg[1590]: INFO: eth3 is not a wireless interface. Continuing.
Feb 15 01:33:21 kernel: [   31.170526] bnx2 0000:05:00.0: eth3: NIC Copper Link is Up, 1000 Mbps full duplex
Feb 15 01:33:21 netcfg[1590]: WARNING **: Started DHCP client; PID is 1604
Feb 15 01:33:21 kernel: [   31.440266] e1000e 0000:0c:00.0: irq 105 for MSI/MSI-X
Feb 15 01:33:21 kernel: [   31.500073] e1000e 0000:0c:00.0: irq 105 for MSI/MSI-X
Feb 15 01:33:21 kernel: [   31.500627] ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): eth0: link is not ready
Feb 15 01:36:09 main-menu[423]: (process:1589): udhcpc (v1.17.1) started
Feb 15 01:36:09 main-menu[423]: (process:1589): Sending discover...
Feb 15 01:36:09 main-menu[423]: (process:1589): Sending discover...
Feb 15 01:36:09 main-menu[423]: (process:1589): Sending discover...
Feb 15 01:36:09 main-menu[423]: (process:1589): Sending discover...
Feb 15 01:36:09 main-menu[423]: (process:1589): Sending discover...
Feb 15 01:36:09 main-menu[423]: (process:1589): Sending discover...
Feb 15 01:36:09 main-menu[423]: (process:1589): Sending discover...
Feb 15 01:36:09 main-menu[423]: (process:1589): Sending discover...
Feb 15 01:36:09 main-menu[423]: (process:1589): Sending discover...
Feb 15 01:36:09 main-menu[423]: (process:1589): Sending discover...
Feb 15 01:36:09 main-menu[423]: (process:1589): Sending discover...

At this point, netcfg gives me the error message that DHCP configuration didn't work.

But going to a shell and manually trying to dhcp using eth3 works:

~ # udhcpc -i eth3
udhcpc (v1.17.1) started
Sending discover...
Sending discover...
Sending select for 172.27.11.78...
Lease of 172.27.11.78 obtained, lease time 14400