Problem in assigning 2 network interface card ip address in winnt.sif of windows 2000 professional

I am using the dell laptop which is running windows 2000 professional edition. My laptop contains two network interface card for wired and wireless connection. My both cards are working properly and there is no problem with the drivers. The problem is on assigning the ip address. I can assign the ip address manually. How could be possible. Even my network works correctly with those ip addresses. The ip address should be obtained automatically by the system default setting. Can anyone tell me what’s going on here?

As I gone through your problem I assumed that there could be a problem with identifying the network adapters. If there is an adapter problem reinstall the network cards once again. Faulty adapters will take any ip address you assigned through the winnt.inf file during the unattended installation. You can change name and the settings, but the system will assign the ip address by default.

You told that you are using 2 network interface cards. May be these 2 cards making some sense while installing their adapters. Using 2 adapters at a time may lead you to this problem. There is a limitation in plug and play devices. The section called Sysprep.inf is used to configure only one network adapter. The problem with this section is the additional adapters will accept the same default settings which is settled for the first one.

You are suffering from the nLite modification process. The some part of the nlite is blocking the fixed ip address assignment. So install the adapters and the drivers without the nLite. During the unattended installation some drivers or sources will be removed from the nlite process because of the important of the process. Some of the system services may be going to block by the same.

Check the network adapters are properly recognizing in the winnt.sif file. The adapter names are located in INFID. Under which there are several options like NetCardAddress, PCIBusNumber, PCIDeviceNumber, PCIFunctionNumber, ConnectionName. If the connection names are specifying the same adapter twice then rename it with the correct one.

Have you tried to nlitening the added drivers & checking its tweaking process. Go through nlite processes manually. Have checked the installation through HFSLIP by updating the hotfixes , direct x and the internet explorer. Have you make the changes in winnt.sif file related to network stuff. Go through this checks if you haven’t done this.