Network manager not working with manual settings

[Lorenzo Taylor]

This problem has survived several updates, so is either an unknown bug or I'm 
doing something wrong, although I can't figure out what.

I have a second Ethernet port on my system that I am trying to set manually via 
the network manager so that I can connect a second computer via a crossover 
cable. I want to give it the IP address 10.1.1.1 and netmask 255.255.248.0. 
However, once I click OK it adds the gateway 0.0.0.0 and changes the netmask to 
21, which of course is invalid and causes the port to remain nonfunctional. 
Ifconfig shows no address information at all for this port other than the mac 
address. Also, the command

sudo ifconfig eth1 10.1.1.1 netmask 255.255.248.0

works correctly and causes the port to become functional. Should I be entering 
something differently in network manager or is this a known bug that hasn't been 
fixed yet? Could it be an as yet unreported bug?

Thanks for any help,
Lorenzo
-- 
  Great Goddess Isis,
Thou who art above the stars,
  Grant us peace and love.
--Lorenzo Taylor