look at kernel/kmod.c
That contains the basic autoloading logic.  Note the request_module call -
this is the important one.

Grep the kernel sources for instances of request_module:  this is how the
kernel knows when to load a module.  In the case of your network card, I
believe that ifconfig calls somekind of function to activate the first
ethernet device.  If the ethernet device is not active already (the driver
isn't already loaded into the kernel), it makes a call to
request_module("eth0") (or the like) to load the driver.  
Also, remember that the linux kernel WILL NOT autodetect which of a series
of network cards you have, and autoload the "right one".  I think you're
confused about net card probing.  AFAIK, net card probing only goes on at
kernel startup (for compiled-in drivers) or at module-load time (for
modular drivers).  If you have an NE2000 compatible card, you need to tell
the module utilities (in /etc/conf.modules) that eth0 is really the ne2k
driver:
alias eth0 ne
or the like for different drivers (I don't remember if that's the correct
name for the ne2000 driver - I don't have one).

When you run ifconfig eth0 up and you've got a modular net driver, the
order of events goes something like this:
1. ifconfig make a kernel call to set up eth0 for networking.
2. the kernel realized that it doesn't have a network driver bound to eth0
3. it calls request_module(eth0)
4. modprobe eth0 gets called.  Modprobe uses the info in /etc/conf.modules
to figure out that it needs to load the ne2k driver.
5. modprobe loads the ne driver
6. the ne driver probes any ne cards in the system, and initializes
them
7. the kernel goes on its way, now that there's a network driver that's
bound to eth0


Greg Zornetzer - gaz+@andrew.cmu.edu
"Light shines brightest in the darkest night"
http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~gaz



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