The /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifup-ipx script doesn't configure correctly IPX interfaces. It reads the IPX options from ifcfg-eth0, cuts the frame type and passes frame type, network number, etc. to /usr/bin/ipx_interface program. The problem is that the IPX frametypes are passed as arguments to ipx_interface as 802_2 and 802_3 but ipx_interface program expects that they're passed as 802.2 and 802.3. So, the solutions is to add next line in ifup-ipx script just before the ipx_interface command is executed: REAL_FRAMETYPE=`echo $frametype | sed 's/_/./g'` and to change ipx_interface's option from FRAMETYPE to REAL_FRAMETYPE In this way the underbars are changed with periods for 802.2 and 802.3 frametypes. EtherII and SNAP frames are not affected in this case. I haven't tested if they work - no need at all.
this has been fixed in a later initscripts release.