WDS client keeps losing it's IP address during windows setup, says it can't find DHCP. Ipconfig in winPE shows no network devices

[RCohe7]

I've been having a strange and frustrating problem with trying to pxeboot on a wolf pass s2600WF. I have the latest bios installed.

What happens is that it initially gets an IP and starts loading windows setup, but then it says "WDSclient: an error occurred while obtaining an IP address from the DHCP server. Please check to ensure there is an operating DHCP server on this network segment.". This is using the onboard X722, either port. Same behavior in UEFI or Legacy boot. I have also added all the newest drivers to the boot.wim image I'm using, and that didn't make any difference. When the error occurs, if I go to shift-F10 for windowsPE cmd prompt and do an ipconfig, it lists no adapters and no IP addresses.

Additionally, I cannot get the board to see an add in I350 card to pxeboot off of, but interestingly enough if I install it and plug both the I350 and the onboard X722 into the switch, it will start the pxe process off of the X722, and then continue it off of the I350, which gets an IP address from the DHCP server. So basically it seems like the X722 just fails to DHCP in WinPE. Unfortunately I do not have access or any insight into the DHCP server. We are also not using AD for anything. Pxeboot works fine for many other servers of many types.

I also have a similar issue using WDS with syslinux, it works to pxeboot into Red Hat 7.4, but all previous versions time out while trying to pxeboot after initially seeing the server. They work on every other Intel board we have.

The only BIOS choice for pxe that shows up, no matter if I have an add in card installed or not, is IBA40G Slot 3d00 and 3d01

[idata]

Hello justletmelogin,

Thank you for contacting Intel Technical Support. Have you tried the same version and build of Windows PE successfully on a similar Intel board in your environment? Also, would it be possible for you to try plugging the server to a switch port that a known working server is working off of? The IBA40G boot option should correspond to all the 4 10GbE interfaces of the onboard X722 network adapter. Do you know if there is something like spanning tree enabled that could be delaying how quickly the switch port responds to your server being turned on on the switch? Best regards, Franklin S.Intel Technical Support.

[RCohe7]

Actually I have quite a few identical machines to this one, and they all have the exact same problem. All other servers of various types (older intel boards, super micros, Dells, etc) work from this pxe server and switch. All other machines work on the same switch ports that the wolf passes don't work from. There is no spanning tree enabled.

[idata]

Hello justletmelogin,

Thank you for the additional information. Could you try on the Windows PE command prompt what is suggested in this external link https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh824933.aspx https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh824933.aspx to see if you can install the drivers manually? Best regards, Franklin S.Intel Technical Support.

[idata]

Hello justletmelogin,

Were you able to try my last suggestion? That could potentially give us more clarity on whether we are dealing with a driver issue or not. Let us know if you have further questions. Best regards, Franklin S.Intel Technical Support.

[RCohe7]

Thanks for the follow up. Actually it was resolved for me by someone else by replacing the 2016 boot loader with the 2012 boot loader and adding the drivers with WDS. I was aware that there is an incompatibility between 2k12r2 WDS and the 2016 boot loader, but I had manually added the drivers to the 2016 boot loader so I thought that wasn't the solution. Apparently it was, but the way I was manually inserting them with dism.exe either didn't work or didn't work with the 2016 boot loader even though they were in there.

[idata]

Hello justletmelogin,

That is very good news. Thank you very much for sharing that knowledge with the community, we really appreciate it. Would it be fine if we go ahead and close the case? Best regards, Franklin S.Intel Technical Support.

[RCohe7]

Sure, thanks.