--- a/documentation/ethercat_doc.tex	Wed Dec 04 19:53:59 2013 +0100
+++ b/documentation/ethercat_doc.tex	Tue Dec 10 10:43:13 2013 +0100
@@ -1239,6 +1239,25 @@
 realtime context.
 \end{itemize}
 
+\paragraph{Device Activation} In order to send and receive frames through a
+socket, the Ethernet device linked to that socket has to be activated,
+otherwise all frames will be rejected. Activation has to take place before the
+master module is loaded and can happen in several ways:
+
+\begin{itemize}
+
+\item Ad-hoc, using the command \lstinline+ip link set dev ethX up+ (or the
+older \lstinline+ifconfig ethX up+),
+
+\item Configured, depending on the distribution, for example using
+\lstinline+ifcfg+ files (\lstinline+/etc/sysconfig/network/ifcfg-ethX+) in
+openSUSE and others. This is the better choice, if the EtherCAT master shall
+start at system boot time. Since the Ethernet device shall only be activated,
+but no IP address etc.\ shall be assigned, it is enough to use
+\lstinline+STARTMODE=auto+ as configuration.
+
+\end{itemize}
+
 %------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 \section{Providing Ethernet Devices}

--- a/script/ethercat.conf	Wed Dec 04 19:53:59 2013 +0100
+++ b/script/ethercat.conf	Tue Dec 10 10:43:13 2013 +0100
@@ -4,10 +4,12 @@
 #
 #  $Id$
 #
+#  vim: spelllang=en spell tw=78
+#
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 #
-# Master devices.
+# Main Ethernet devices.
 #
 # The MASTER<X>_DEVICE variable specifies the Ethernet device for a master
 # with index 'X'.
@@ -26,6 +28,15 @@
 #MASTER1_DEVICE=""
 
 #
+# Backup Ethernet devices
+#
+# The MASTER<X>_BACKUP variables specify the devices used for redundancy. They
+# behaves nearly the same as the MASTER<X>_DEVICE variable, except that it
+# does not interpret the ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff address.
+#
+#MASTER0_BACKUP=""
+
+#
 # Ethernet driver modules to use for EtherCAT operation.
 #
 # Specify a non-empty list of Ethernet drivers, that shall be used for EtherCAT
@@ -42,6 +53,10 @@
 # Note: The e100, e1000, e1000e and r8169 drivers are not built by default.
 # Enable them with the --enable-<driver> configure switches.
 #
+# Attention: When using the generic driver, the corresponding Ethernet device
+# has to be activated (with OS methods, for example 'ip link set ethX up'),
+# before the master is started, otherwise all frames will time out.
+#
 DEVICE_MODULES=""
 
 #

--- a/script/sysconfig/ethercat	Wed Dec 04 19:53:59 2013 +0100
+++ b/script/sysconfig/ethercat	Tue Dec 10 10:43:13 2013 +0100
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@
 # Note: The e100, e1000, e1000e and r8169 drivers are not built by default.
 # Enable them with the --enable-<driver> configure switches.
 #
+# Attention: When using the generic driver, the corresponding Ethernet device
+# has to be activated (with OS methods, for example 'ip link set ethX up'),
+# before the master is started, otherwise all frames will time out.
+#
 DEVICE_MODULES=""
 
 #