diff -purN orig/net/core/dev.c linux-2.4.21/net/core/dev.c
--- orig/net/core/dev.c	2004-08-16 19:35:59.304359160 -0400
+++ linux-2.4.21/net/core/dev.c	2004-08-16 19:30:34.654713408 -0400
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@
 #ifdef CONFIG_PLIP
 extern int plip_init(void);
 #endif
-
+#include <linux/ctype.h>
 
 /* This define, if set, will randomly drop a packet when congestion
  * is more than moderate.  It helps fairness in the multi-interface
@@ -407,6 +407,107 @@ __setup("netdev=", netdev_boot_setup);
 
 ******************************************************************************************/
 
+struct dev_name_entry {
+	list_t			list;
+	struct net_device	**devices;
+	unsigned		num_devices;
+	unsigned		devices_size;
+	u8			basename_len;
+	char			basename[IFNAMSIZ];
+	struct net_device	*default_devices[1];
+};
+
+LIST_HEAD(dev_name_list);
+
+static int skip_atoi(const char *s)
+{
+        int i=0;
+
+        while (isdigit(*s))
+                i = i*10 + *s++ - '0';
+        return i;
+}
+
+static struct dev_name_entry *dev_get_dn(const char *name, int *idxp)
+{
+	list_t *pos;
+	int idx, i;
+
+	for (i=0; name[i] && !isdigit(name[i]); i++)
+		;
+
+	idx = skip_atoi(name+i);
+	*idxp = idx;
+
+	list_for_each(pos, &dev_name_list) {
+		struct dev_name_entry *dn = (struct dev_name_entry *)pos;
+
+		if (dn->basename_len != i)
+			continue;
+		if (memcmp(dn->basename, name, i))
+			continue;
+
+		return dn;
+	}
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+static void dev_add_name(struct net_device *dev)
+{
+	struct dev_name_entry *dn;
+	int idx;
+
+	dn = dev_get_dn(dev->name, &idx);
+	if (!dn) {
+		int i;
+
+		dn = kmalloc(sizeof(struct dev_name_entry), GFP_ATOMIC);
+		memset(dn, 0, sizeof(*dn));
+		dn->devices = dn->default_devices;
+		dn->devices_size = 1;
+		list_add(&dn->list, &dev_name_list);
+
+		strcpy(dn->basename, dev->name);
+		for (i=0; dn->basename[i] && !isdigit(dn->basename[i]); i++)
+			;
+		dn->basename[i] = 0;
+		dn->basename_len = i;
+	}
+
+	if (idx >= dn->devices_size) {
+		struct net_device **old = dn->devices;
+		size_t size;
+
+		dn->devices_size *= 2;
+		size = dn->devices_size * sizeof(void *);
+		dn->devices = kmalloc(size, GFP_ATOMIC);
+		memcpy(dn->devices, old, size / 2);
+		memset(dn->devices + dn->devices_size/2, 0, size / 2);
+
+		if (old != dn->default_devices)
+			kfree(old);
+	}
+
+	if (dn->devices[idx])
+		BUG();
+	dn->devices[idx] = dev;
+}
+
+static void dev_remove_name(struct net_device *dev)
+{
+	struct dev_name_entry *dn;
+	int idx;
+
+	dn = dev_get_dn(dev->name, &idx);
+	if (!dn)
+		return;
+	if (idx >= dn->num_devices)
+		return;
+
+	if (dev == dn->devices[idx])
+		dn->devices[idx] = NULL;
+}
+
 /**
  *	__dev_get_by_name	- find a device by its name 
  *	@name: name to find
@@ -422,8 +523,15 @@ __setup("netdev=", netdev_boot_setup);
 struct net_device *__dev_get_by_name(const char *name)
 {
 	struct net_device *dev;
+	struct dev_name_entry *dn;
+	int idx;
 
-	for (dev = dev_base; dev != NULL; dev = dev->next) {
+	dn = dev_get_dn(name, &idx);
+	if (!dn)
+		return NULL;
+	if (idx >= dn->num_devices)
+		idx = 0;
+	for (dev = dn->devices[idx]; dev != NULL; dev = dev->next) {
 		if (strncmp(dev->name, name, IFNAMSIZ) == 0)
 			return dev;
 	}
@@ -2585,6 +2693,7 @@ int register_netdevice(struct net_device
 	*dp = dev;
 	dev_hold(dev);
 	dev->deadbeaf = 0;
+	dev_add_name(dev);
 	write_unlock_bh(&dev_base_lock);
 
 	/* Notify protocols, that a new device appeared. */
@@ -2653,6 +2762,7 @@ int unregister_netdevice(struct net_devi
 	for (dp = &dev_base; (d=*dp) != NULL; dp=&d->next) {
 		if (d == dev) {
 			write_lock_bh(&dev_base_lock);
+			dev_remove_name(dev);
 			*dp = d->next;
 			write_unlock_bh(&dev_base_lock);
 			break;
@@ -2884,6 +2994,7 @@ int __init net_dev_init(void)
 	while ((dev = *dp) != NULL) {
 		if (dev->deadbeaf) {
 			write_lock_bh(&dev_base_lock);
+			dev_remove_name(dev);
 			*dp = dev->next;
 			write_unlock_bh(&dev_base_lock);
 			dev_put(dev);
diff -purN orig/net/core/dev.c linux-2.4.21/net/core/dev.c
--- orig/net/core/dev.c	2004-08-16 23:04:53.000000000 -0400
+++ linux-2.4.21/net/core/dev.c	2004-08-17 01:20:36.358969064 -0400
@@ -410,7 +410,6 @@ __setup("netdev=", netdev_boot_setup);
 struct dev_name_entry {
 	list_t			list;
 	struct net_device	**devices;
-	unsigned		num_devices;
 	unsigned		devices_size;
 	u8			basename_len;
 	char			basename[IFNAMSIZ];
@@ -501,7 +500,7 @@ static void dev_remove_name(struct net_d
 	dn = dev_get_dn(dev->name, &idx);
 	if (!dn)
 		return;
-	if (idx >= dn->num_devices)
+	if (idx >= dn->devices_size)
 		return;
 
 	if (dev == dn->devices[idx])
@@ -529,7 +528,7 @@ struct net_device *__dev_get_by_name(con
 	dn = dev_get_dn(name, &idx);
 	if (!dn)
 		return NULL;
-	if (idx >= dn->num_devices)
+	if (idx >= dn->devices_size)
 		idx = 0;
 	for (dev = dn->devices[idx]; dev != NULL; dev = dev->next) {
 		if (strncmp(dev->name, name, IFNAMSIZ) == 0)
diff -purN orig/drivers/net/loopback.c linux-2.4.21/drivers/net/loopback.c
--- orig/drivers/net/loopback.c	2004-08-17 01:39:36.748603488 -0400
+++ linux-2.4.21/drivers/net/loopback.c	2004-08-17 01:40:53.441944328 -0400
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@ int __init loopback_init(struct net_devi
 			return -ENOMEM;
 	memset(dev->priv, 0, sizeof(struct net_device_stats));
 	dev->get_stats = get_stats;
+	dev_add_name(dev);
 
 	/*
 	 *	Fill in the generic fields of the device structure. 
diff -purN orig/net/core/dev.c linux-2.4.21/net/core/dev.c
--- orig/net/core/dev.c	2004-08-17 01:30:40.860070928 -0400
+++ linux-2.4.21/net/core/dev.c	2004-08-17 01:40:01.085903656 -0400
@@ -451,7 +451,7 @@ static struct dev_name_entry *dev_get_dn
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-static void dev_add_name(struct net_device *dev)
+void dev_add_name(struct net_device *dev)
 {
 	struct dev_name_entry *dn;
 	int idx;