Error in 3c59x driver (EEPROM MAC address is invalid)

I have just upgraded from Fedora to Ubuntu. The build in NIC was loaded but my good old 3c905B wasn't.

I seems to be a bug as I found a similar bugreport Bug #356148 (Slightly different nic 3c905C-TX). here it is claimed that the driver worked for that card in "Linux ubuntu 2.6.31-7-generic #27-Ubuntu SMP Mon Aug 24 17:33:49 UTC 2009 i686 GNU/Linux"

I found an indication of acpi=off being a temporary fix, but applying that made by system halt after this line:
[ 0.770512] 0000:03:01.0: 3Com PCI 3c905B Cyclone 100baseTx at ffffc90000c7ac00.

Is it a 32/64 bit challenge (fix not being ported)?

dmesg says:

[ 0.770481] 3c59x 0000:03:01.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 20 (level, low) -> IRQ 20
[ 0.770501] 3c59x: Donald Becker and others.
[ 0.770512] 0000:03:01.0: 3Com PCI 3c905B Cyclone 100baseTx at ffffc90000c7ac00.
[ 0.884351] *** EEPROM MAC address is invalid.
[ 0.884359] 3c59x: vortex_probe1 fails. Returns -22
[ 0.884376] 3c59x 0000:03:01.0: PCI INT A disabled
[ 0.884386] 3c59x: probe of 0000:03:01.0 failed with error -22

lspci says:
03:01.0 Ethernet controller: 3Com Corporation 3c905B 100BaseTX [Cyclone] (rev 30)

lshw says:

  *-network UNCLAIMED
       description: Ethernet controller
       product: 3c905B 100BaseTX [Cyclone]
       vendor: 3Com Corporation
       physical id: 1
       bus info: pci@0000:03:01.0
       version: 30
       width: 32 bits
       clock: 33MHz
       capabilities: pm cap_list
       configuration: latency=64 maxlatency=10 mingnt=10
       resources: ioport:e000(size=128) memory:febfdc00-febfdc7f memory:febc0000-febdffff

I hope is as simple as finding the right versions and doing a diff (which it never is) :)

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: linux-image-3.0.0-17-server 3.0.0-17.30
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-17.30-server 3.0.22
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-17-server x86_64
AlsaDevices:
 total 0
 crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 1 2012-04-07 16:19 seq
 crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 33 2012-04-07 16:19 timer
AplayDevices: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu4
Architecture: amd64
ArecordDevices: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
AudioDevicesInUse: Error: command ['fuser', '-v', '/dev/snd/seq', '/dev/snd/timer'] failed with exit code 1:
CRDA: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
Date: Mon Apr 9 09:09:17 2012
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=37dae9a6-6cac-4f3c-a618-3299e845c4ea
IwConfig:
 lo no wireless extensions.

 eth1 no wireless extensions.
MachineType: Acer Aspire M3802
PciMultimedia:

ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_DK.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-3.0.0-17-server root=/dev/mapper/TServer-root ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.0.0-17-server N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.0.0-17-server N/A
 linux-firmware 1.60
RfKill: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2012-04-06 (2 days ago)
WifiSyslog:

dmi.bios.date: 08/31/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: P01-A1
dmi.board.name: EG43M
dmi.board.vendor: Acer
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Acer
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvrP01-A1:bd08/31/2009:svnAcer:pnAspireM3802:pvr:rvnAcer:rnEG43M:rvr:cvnAcer:ct3:cvr:
dmi.product.name: Aspire M3802
dmi.sys.vendor: Acer
---
AlsaDevices:
 total 0
 crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 1 2012-04-09 09:54 seq
 crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 33 2012-04-09 09:54 timer
AplayDevices: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu4
Architecture: amd64
ArecordDevices: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
AudioDevicesInUse: Error: command ['fuser', '-v', '/dev/snd/seq', '/dev/snd/timer'] failed with exit code 1:
CRDA: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
CurrentDmesg:
 [ 7946.952152] e1000e: eth1 NIC Link is Down
 [ 7950.808880] e1000e: eth1 NIC Link is Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex, Flow Control: Rx/Tx
 [ 7950.808888] e1000e 0000:00:19.0: eth1: 10/100 speed: disabling TSO
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=37dae9a6-6cac-4f3c-a618-3299e845c4ea
IwConfig:
 lo no wireless extensions.

 eth1 no wireless extensions.
MachineType: Acer Aspire M3802
Package: linux (not installed)
PciMultimedia:

ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_DK.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-3.0.0-17-server root=/dev/mapper/TServer-root ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-17.30-server 3.0.22
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.0.0-17-server N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.0.0-17-server N/A
 linux-firmware 1.60
RfKill: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
Tags: oneiric
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-17-server x86_64
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2012-04-06 (2 days ago)
UserGroups:

dmi.bios.date: 08/31/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: P01-A1
dmi.board.name: EG43M
dmi.board.vendor: Acer
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Acer
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvrP01-A1:bd08/31/2009:svnAcer:pnAspireM3802:pvr:rvnAcer:rnEG43M:rvr:cvnAcer:ct3:cvr:
dmi.product.name: Aspire M3802
dmi.sys.vendor: Acer