Cloned Windows XP VM has Limited or No Connectivity on Network

[joeeckberg]

I created a Windows XP virtual machine, applied all the latest updates, and installed the VMware tools. It was able to connect to the network without issue. I then powered down the VM and converted it to a Template. Next I deployed a Virtual Machine from this template. When the cloned XP machine comes up, it is unable to connect to the network and has Limited or No Connectivity.

I have tried a few things:

- Uninstalling and reinstalling the virtual NIC

- Converting the original template back to a VM, powering it on, and it is still able to connect even with the new vm powered on

- Verified they both have different unique MAC addresses, different machine names, and new SIDs

- Verified the virtual switch has enough ports

- Waiting

- Deployed using both Do not customize and Customize using Customization Wizard

- Verified I have the correct version of Sysprep (XP SP3 even though the readme says SP2)

- Successfully deployed several other VMs from Templates using different Windows OSs since running into this issue with XP

- Uninstalled and reinstalled VMware tools (which has run correctly throughout)

Versions I'm using:

vSphere Client and VMware vCenter Server: 4.1.0 Build 258902

VMware ESXi 4.1.0 Build 260247

Windows XP SP3

VMware Tools for Windows Version 8.3.2 Build 257589

[continuum]

Uninstalling and reinstalling the virtual NIC

thats a bad idea - if you do that you often get phantom nics - did you clean up eventual existing phantom nics ?




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[joeeckberg]

I did that based on http://communities.vmware.com/message/881016

When it didn't work I shut down the cloned VM, deleted it from disk, and deployed a new VM from the template (and I still have the network issue). That goes the same for a lot of the above mentioned steps.

[weinstein5 · Accepted solution]

Have you tried hard coding an IP? In the VM settings is the NIC connected? If using DHCP do you have an addresses in the scope?

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[WessexFan]

Do you have multiple clusters with different vlans attached to them? Perhaps look at the vms network connection in vcenter 'edit settings' and see if ou are on the correct one (DMZ versus LAN, etc..)

[joeeckberg]

The joys of a large organization: Our network team reportedly ran out of dhcp during the time that I was working on this. They've now opened a new subnet and now I can connect just fine.