Multi network card Windows 2k server hangs at startup

[walldj]

Folks

I have a Windows 2000 exchange server on which we have a multiple
networks on the machine, the main network is a proper domain, we also
run a second network for running san backups on.

Now when we reboot the box the reload stalls until we pull the cable on
the backup network the machine then boots normally.

Also if we disable this network the machine boots normally.

The machine works normally if we replug the network cable or re enable
the card, once up.

Now the way we are thinking is that as there is no domain controller
for the backup network it is just all hard coded i.p. numbers the
machine is doing some some sort of lookup for the domain and as it cant
find one on the backup domain it is stalling.

Now we are wondering is there a way to force the network cards to load
in order? therefore the main domain network would load and it wouldnt
hang on the backup network.

At this time we dont want to add somesort of domain controller, or add
the backup network into the main network it currently just connects the
san system and three or four servers we need to backup.

Any thoughts greatly appreciated.

 

[Doug Sherman [MVP]]

You may be able to solve this by simply changing the binding order: Right
click My Network Places and select Properties. Click Advanced/Advanced
Settings - move the non-backup NIC to the top of the binding order. Alo,
the backup NIC should not have a default gateway and I assume these are
different subnets.

Doug Sherman
MCSE, MCSA, MCP+I, MVP