Setting default network adapter properties

[antonioyanez]

We are deploying WinXPe on IBM X205-8480 eServer. On this hardware
there are different revisions of the same ethernet adapter.
Under Windows NT, this was never a problem, the existing drivers worked
for all flavors of the network adapter. XP is more selective and if we
install our existing image (built with flavor A of the NIC) on a system
with flavor B of the NIC, XP creates a new instance of Local Area
Connection ("Local Area Connection 1") in the network configuration.

Unfortunately XP is using some defaults that we would like different.
For example, DHCP is enabled. We would like to use a static IP
Address.

So here are the questions:
1) Is there any way to convince XPe to use the existing Local Area
Connection (with the correct configuration already set) instead of
creating a new one?

If not, then

2) How does XP determine which defaults to use? We would like to use a
static IP Address.

 

[JC]

Hi,

This NG deals with XP Embedded Only. You most likely need the NG for XP
Professional.
microsoft.public.windowsxp.general.

Sorry.

JC

 

[Tony Y]

Perhaps I wasn't clear. We are deploying XP embedded images on
X205-8480 eServer. This platform includes an on-board network adapter
(Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet). When the image is loaded onto
an X205 that inlcudes a different revision of the same on-board
adapter, XPe detects this difference and creates a new Local Area
Connection with default settings that we do not want.

 

[KM]

Tony,

You are probably looking for netsh command.
Include components:
"Network Command Shell "
"Network Command Shell Interface Context"
"IP Router Monitor Library"

You can delete interface using netsh (delete interface).

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/netsh.mspx
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/dnxpesp1/html/tchWorkingWithNetshInWindowsXPEmbedded.asp

KM

 

[Tony Y]

Yes, I came accross this article yesterday after posting this question.
I'm not sure how to use this in my image. Should I put this in a
script that configures the connection and execute it via the runonce
key after checking for the existance of "Local Area Connection 1" or
something?

 

[KM]

Tony,

What image you are deploying to the device?
Are you doing FBA first on some other machine?
Do you have a way to change the image?
Do you have and use XPe Toolkit?

If the answers to above question is No, it will be a different story then.

KM

 

[Tony Y]

We are deploying an FB-Resealed image to the device. Yes, the last
thing I do before saving off the image is run FBReseal.exe on the
development machine. Then the FB-Resealed image is saved and later
loaded on other target machines.

Yes, I make changes to the image by loading the "Pre-FB Resealed"
image. Then I save the Pre-FB Resealed image for future changes. Once
the changes are made I run FB Reseal and save the image for deployment
and so on.

 

[KM]

Tony,

If all you do is changing postFBA image before you reseal, then I don't understand you previous question regarding the netsh usage.

Disable the current FBA'ed adapter and delete the "Local Area Connection" just before the reseal.
On next boot, when a new adapter is found the "Local Area Connection" will be created again and bound to that adapter.

 

[Tony Y]

I'm still not clear about when and how to use netsh. As I understand,
I should:
1) Disable the adapter in Device Mgr.
2) Delete the "Local Area Connection" interface
3) Run FBReseal.exe
4) Save the FB Resealed image.
5) Load the FB Resealed image on to the target.

How do I set the properties for the new interface that XP creates?
After loading the image onto the target will I have to run netsh on the
target to configure the interface properties?

 

[KM]

Tony,

I'm still not clear about when and how to use netsh. As I understand,
I should:
1) Disable the adapter in Device Mgr.

Want to automate this? Use devcon utility.

2) Delete the "Local Area Connection" interface

Use netsh delte interface.

3) Run FBReseal.exe
4) Save the FB Resealed image.
5) Load the FB Resealed image on to the target.

How do I set the properties for the new interface that XP creates?
After loading the image onto the target will I have to run netsh on the
target to configure the interface properties?

Yes, if you want to change the default settings. Use netsh that is set up to be launched through RunOnce key (as you mentioned
earlier) or in a self-cleaning batch file from StartUp items.
You can set up whatever network settings you may need to with the netsh contexts. However, you can make your setup easier if just
before the reseal and before you disable and delete the "Local Area Connection" you dump all the connection settings in a file (use
"netsh dump"). Then on the next boot you just have to pick up and load the dump file with "netsh exec".


However, I can't understand why don't you want to have the second (or both) network adapters during FBA?

 

[Tony Y]

If I correctly understand the question, there is only one physical
network adapter on the system, not two, at any given time. The problem
arises when the the image is loaded onto a target system that has a
different revision of the same NIC than the one on the system used
create the resealed image.

 

[KM]

Tony,

So, hardware-wise there is no way to have both NICs in the same target machine where the image runs through FBA?

Also, how about running the image on both targets with different NIC revisions and set up the required network connections and
finally do the fbreseal?
Basically, you run the image through FBA on first target with NIC A. When the FBA is done, you copy the image to the second target
with NIC B, disable/remove the adapter for NIC A, delete "Local Area Connection" and renames the "Local Area Connection 1". Then you
do fbreseal and you are done. If I did not miss anything, you can do all steps using GUI tools.

 

[Tony Y]

That's right, there's no way to have both NICs in the same target at
the same time because the NIC in question is an on-board NIC.

For the second second approach, we have considered this but we do not
know how many revisions of the on-board network adapter IBM shipped
over the years. We might possibly need several targets to do this
which is not feasible. According to the PNP Device ID for the NIC,
( PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_103A&SUBSYS_30108086&REV_82\4&29817089&0&40F0) there
are at least 82 revisions of this adapter.

 

[KM]

Tony,

I see the problem. 82 possible revisions would be laborious to handle.

Ok. Then start the netsh dump/exec approach.
Let us know if it helped.

 

[Tony Y]

Thanks for your help and insight (and time). We hadn't considered the
netsh approach as a viable option. I'll let you know how it goes.