Help!

I am running Linux-mandrake 7.1 I am having problems with my cable
modem.  I use @home here in Phoenix.  DHCP.  I have configured my NIC
statically and I can ping my loopback and the IP address, but I fail
when I try to ping the gateway or any external address.  I get NO ERRORS
on etc/rc.d/init.d/network restart.  But yet I cannot get out.  Checking
/var/logs/messages -50 I see the error
'SIOCSIFFLAGS resource temporarily unavailable.'  (among other
successful entries).  I
have no idea what this means.  I have scoured the HOWTO's and any other
information regarding cable modems and tried all fix's with no effect.
It is probably something obvious that my relative inexperience in Linux
shows.

I have also tried with configuring for DHCP.  No dice.  No blink of data
on the cable modem. Ive tried fifty different ways of routing.  Is this
a routing problem?  Is the error
message above one that someone is familiar with?  I have no idea how to
resolve this, as I'm new to Linux (recent mutineer from MicroSoft) and
am frustrated by this.  It would be idiotic if I couldn't use my cable
modem with Linux.

Help!

Thanks.