Network Setup

[Bill Spears]

On a new install, on a laptop, when trying to use the red hat network 
configuration tool, I get the error, "Static routes file eth0 is
invalid."  It turned out that IP addr. was ok, but netmask, broadcast
and gateway were wrong.  I munged around in network and network-scripts
(/etc/sysconfig) and got it to the point where if I restart network
services, everything except gateway is ok. It comes up with 0.0.0.0,
which is not very useful. I can fix it with "route", but I'd like it to
work correctly.

I don't know if this matters or is even unusual, but when the system is
booting, it fails to bring up eth0 and states that it will bring it up
later.  eth0 is being brought up.

Is there some particular file known as "the static routes file"?
Ideas?
-- 
Bill Spears <bspears at easystreet.com>