if (mac->set_bssid_filter)
                mac->set_bssid_filter(mac->dev, net->bssid);
        memcpy(mac->ieee->bssid, net->bssid, ETH_ALEN);
-       mac->dev->flags |= IFF_RUNNING;
+       netif_carrier_on(mac->dev);
        
        mac->association_id = le16_to_cpup(&resp->aid);
 }
        struct ieee80211softmac_device *mac = ieee80211_priv(dev);
        unsigned long flags;
        dprintk(KERN_INFO PFX "got disassoc frame\n");
-       
+       netif_carrier_off(dev);
        spin_lock_irqsave(&mac->lock, flags);
        mac->associnfo.bssvalid = 0;
        mac->associated = 0;
 
                kfree(net->challenge);
        kfree(net);
        
+       /* can't transmit data right now... */
+       netif_carrier_off(mac->dev);
        /* let's try to re-associate */
        schedule_work(&mac->associnfo.work);
        spin_unlock_irqrestore(&mac->lock, flags);
 
        softmac->txrates.default_rate = IEEE80211_CCK_RATE_1MB;
        softmac->txrates.default_fallback = IEEE80211_CCK_RATE_1MB;
 
-       /* should we also assign softmac->mgmt_xmit here so
-        * that it is always valid? If so, we probably want
-        * to define a new function for that which just
-        * wraps ieee80211_tx_frame
-        */
+       /* to start with, we can't send anything ... */
+       netif_carrier_off(dev);
        
-       /* until associated, we're not ready */
-       dev->flags &= ~IFF_RUNNING;
-
        return dev;
-
-err_free_ieee80211:
-       free_ieee80211(dev);
-
-       return NULL;
 }
 
 /* Clears the pending work queue items, stops all scans, etc. */