ethernet adaptor not recognised in ipconfig

Any help would be appreciated.
If motorolla usb adapter has no problems in device manager, and is listed in network adapter's with tcp protocol why can't i find it using ipconfig?

toshiba laptop, win 98se, successful broadband connection through pcmcia lan card, want usb broadband and netgear wireless to hp psc2510 printer.

I have re-bound (if thats the word) by deleting the protcol and re-binded with the add tcp/ip and on one occasion it found it and worked.
Then installed netgear wireless adapter, it communicates with printer but again not listed in ipconfig. My success with usb ethernet now failed and have been unable to re-bind it to adapter, reinstalling driver's, updates etc.

The fact that I could do it once implies there is a simple fix in win98 recognising these devices. Have searched long and hard before I posted this. Thank you.