diff --git a/site/gather-hardware-info.sh b/site/gather-hardware-info.sh
index 3dc9c37..6fe70d5 100755
--- a/site/gather-hardware-info.sh
+++ b/site/gather-hardware-info.sh
@@ -91,7 +91,109 @@ if have lsblk && have findmnt; then
   fi
 fi
 
-# --- WiFi chip: try PCI, then USB, then fall back to the driver name ---
+# --- network device naming: sysfs first, lspci/lsusb layered on top ---
+# lspci/lsusb aren't guaranteed to be installed (pciutils/usbutils are
+# separate packages, often missing on minimal/live-boot systems) — but
+# /sys is always there. Same approach as finding a chip by hand: read
+# vendor/device IDs straight from sysfs, and use lspci/lsusb only when
+# present to turn a hex ID like 0x8086 into "Intel" instead of guessing.
+
+pci_vendor_name() {
+  case "$1" in
+    0x8086) echo "Intel" ;;
+    0x14e4) echo "Broadcom" ;;
+    0x10ec) echo "Realtek" ;;
+    0x168c|0x1969) echo "Qualcomm Atheros" ;;
+    0x02df|0x0e8d) echo "MediaTek" ;;
+    0x1814) echo "Ralink" ;;
+    *) echo "" ;;
+  esac
+}
+
+usb_vendor_name() {
+  case "$1" in
+    8086) echo "Intel" ;;
+    0a5c) echo "Broadcom" ;;
+    0bda) echo "Realtek" ;;
+    0cf3) echo "Qualcomm Atheros" ;;
+    148f) echo "Ralink/MediaTek" ;;
+    *) echo "" ;;
+  esac
+}
+
+# describe_net_device IFACE — best-effort human description of the hardware
+# backing a network interface. Walks /sys/class/net/$iface/device to find
+# whether it's a PCI, USB, or SDIO device, reads the IDs directly, and only
+# reaches for lspci/lsusb (if installed) to prettify the name.
+describe_net_device() {
+  local iface="$1" devpath realpath driver="" name=""
+  devpath="/sys/class/net/$iface/device"
+  [ -e "$devpath" ] || return 0
+  realpath="$(readlink -f "$devpath")"
+  [ -r "$devpath/uevent" ] && driver="$(awk -F= '/^DRIVER=/ {print $2}' "$devpath/uevent")"
+
+  case "$realpath" in
+    */pci*)
+      local vendor device pciid vname
+      vendor="$(cat "$devpath/vendor" 2>/dev/null)"
+      device="$(cat "$devpath/device" 2>/dev/null)"
+      # Not just basename: some drivers (virtio-net, and others that wrap a
+      # PCI function in a virtual sub-bus) resolve one level deeper than
+      # the actual PCI address, e.g. .../0000:00:12.0/virtio2 — the real
+      # slot is the LAST domain:bus:device.function-shaped path component,
+      # not necessarily the final one. Confirmed by hand: basename alone
+      # gave "virtio2", which lspci -s rejects as "Invalid slot number".
+      pciid="$(echo "$realpath" | grep -oE '[0-9a-f]{4}:[0-9a-f]{2}:[0-9a-f]{2}\.[0-9a-f]' | tail -1)"
+      if have lspci && [ -n "$pciid" ]; then
+        name="$(lspci -s "$pciid" 2>/dev/null | sed -E 's/^[0-9a-f:.]+ [^:]+: //')"
+      fi
+      if [ -z "$name" ] && [ -n "$vendor" ]; then
+        vname="$(pci_vendor_name "$vendor")"
+        name="${vname:-PCI vendor $vendor} device $device"
+      fi
+      ;;
+    */usb*)
+      local usbdir idv idp vname
+      usbdir="$realpath"
+      # The net device's "device" symlink usually points at the USB
+      # *interface*, not the device itself — walk up until we find the
+      # level that actually has idVendor/idProduct.
+      while [ -n "$usbdir" ] && [ "$usbdir" != "/" ] && [ ! -r "$usbdir/idVendor" ]; do
+        usbdir="$(dirname "$usbdir")"
+      done
+      if [ -r "$usbdir/idVendor" ]; then
+        idv="$(cat "$usbdir/idVendor" 2>/dev/null)"
+        idp="$(cat "$usbdir/idProduct" 2>/dev/null)"
+        if have lsusb; then
+          name="$(lsusb -d "${idv}:${idp}" 2>/dev/null | head -1 | sed -E 's/^Bus [0-9]+ Device [0-9]+: ID [0-9a-f]{4}:[0-9a-f]{4} //')"
+        fi
+        if [ -z "$name" ] && [ -n "$idv" ]; then
+          vname="$(usb_vendor_name "$idv")"
+          name="${vname:-USB vendor $idv} device $idp"
+        fi
+      fi
+      ;;
+    */sdio*)
+      # SDIO WiFi (common on Raspberry Pi and other ARM SBCs, e.g. Broadcom
+      # BCM43455) has no standard human-readable name in sysfs — the driver
+      # (brcmfmac, etc.) is usually the most reliable identifier here.
+      local vendor device
+      vendor="$(cat "$devpath/vendor" 2>/dev/null)"
+      device="$(cat "$devpath/device" 2>/dev/null)"
+      [ -n "$vendor" ] && name="SDIO vendor $vendor device $device"
+      ;;
+  esac
+
+  if [ -n "$name" ] && [ -n "$driver" ]; then
+    echo "$name (driver: $driver)"
+  elif [ -n "$name" ]; then
+    echo "$name"
+  elif [ -n "$driver" ]; then
+    echo "driver: $driver (chip model not identified)"
+  fi
+}
+
+# --- WiFi chip ---
 wifi_chip="none"
 wifi_iface=""
 for w in /sys/class/net/*/wireless; do
@@ -100,24 +202,22 @@ for w in /sys/class/net/*/wireless; do
   break
 done
 if [ -n "$wifi_iface" ]; then
-  if have lspci; then
-    wifi_chip="$(lspci | grep -iE 'network controller|wireless' | head -1 | sed -E 's/^[0-9a-f:.]+ [^:]+: //')"
-  fi
-  if [ -z "$wifi_chip" ] && have lsusb; then
-    wifi_chip="$(lsusb | grep -iE 'wireless|wifi|802\.11' | head -1 | sed -E 's/^Bus [0-9]+ Device [0-9]+: ID [0-9a-f]{4}:[0-9a-f]{4} //')"
-  fi
-  if [ -z "$wifi_chip" ] && [ -r "/sys/class/net/$wifi_iface/device/uevent" ]; then
-    driver="$(awk -F= '/^DRIVER=/ {print $2}' "/sys/class/net/$wifi_iface/device/uevent")"
-    [ -n "$driver" ] && wifi_chip="driver: $driver (chip model not auto-detected — check \`lsusb\`/\`lspci\` by hand)"
-  fi
+  wifi_chip="$(describe_net_device "$wifi_iface")"
   [ -z "$wifi_chip" ] && wifi_chip="TODO — wireless interface $wifi_iface found but chip not identified"
 fi
 
-# --- Ethernet chip (best-effort) ---
+# --- Ethernet chip: first non-wireless, non-loopback interface with a real
+# device behind it (best-effort — on a box with a cellular modem and no
+# wired NIC this could pick the modem; double-check if that's your setup) ---
 ethernet=""
-if have lspci; then
-  ethernet="$(lspci | grep -i 'ethernet controller' | head -1 | sed -E 's/^[0-9a-f:.]+ [^:]+: //')"
-fi
+for e in /sys/class/net/*; do
+  iface="$(basename "$e")"
+  [ "$iface" = "lo" ] && continue
+  [ -d "$e/wireless" ] && continue
+  [ -e "$e/device" ] || continue
+  ethernet="$(describe_net_device "$iface")"
+  [ -n "$ethernet" ] && break
+done
 
 today="$(date +%F 2>/dev/null || echo "TODO")"