"Network Configuration Operators" & SP2

[bmgoodmanva]

Prior to SP2 I had added my users to the local "Network Configuration
Operators" local group. This allowed them to change their IP-related
information (static-to-dynamic and back again, enable/disable, etc.).
I have built a new image with SP2, but I find that users cannot change
any IP-related information. In fact, there seems to be a disconnect
(at times) between what the GUI shows and what you can see from a
command prompt.

For example, as an admin, I changed from DHCP to static and assigned IP
info. I was not prompted to reboot. The GUI and IPCONFIG show the
static info I just assigned. I then logged out and logged in as a
member of the "Network Configuration Operators" group. I tried to
change from static to DHCP. I was prompted to reboot. I again logged
in as a member of NCO. Now, when I pull up the properties for TCP/IP,
the gui shows "Obtain an IP address automatically" and "Obtain DNS
server address automatically". When I type ipconfig, though, I still
see the static ip info that I configured as an admin. When I try to
ipconfig /release, I get a message "The operation failed as no adapter
is in the state permissible for this operation." This is what I would
expect to see when using a static address. So, although I am allowed
to make changes through the GUI, as a member of NCO, I am always
prompted to reboot, and, after rebooting, I can see no changes to the
configuration. This used to work.

I have seem comments of issues with NCO under SP2, but these seem like
speculation. I cannot find any hard facts.

Can anybody help?

 

[Guest]

I just discovered the same issue yesterday. I found that the KB914798
Windows Update changed the permissions for the Network Operators Group
essentially nullifying the basic function of the group. Users in our company
that have not had the update applied yet are still functioning and can change
their IP addresses. Users who have applied the update cannot. I submitted
another post to find out why Microsoft did this.