Ubuntu precise failing to get key from mandos server because of no network

[Mike 'Fuzzy' Partin]

Getting the error, "ioctl SIOCSIFFLAGS +IFF_UP: Operation not permitted" 
during bootup, after which I am presented with a password prompt, 
however no keyboard input is accepted. I haven't been able to dig up 
anything in google thus far, and was wondering if someone here may have 
seen a similar error and can point me to the correct tree to bark up.