Automation boots with error DHCP Retry over and over on Client

Products

• Deployment Solution
• Ghost Solution Suite

Issue/Introduction

When a client is booted to WinPE Automation either by PXE, Automation Folders, or a Network boot disk, DHCP retrying..., or similar, is displayed on the client during network initialization.

Sample of what is displayed on the client:

DHCP Retry 19 attempt:
Could not authenticate network connection
Mapping network drives...
System error 53 has occurred
The network path was not found.
Deployment share mapped to I: (or another letter)

The system cannot find the drive specified.
Locating AClient...
Starting AClient X:\aclient.exe...
Calling custom actions...
Startup complete.
 

Environment

Ghost Solution Suite 3.x (GSS)
Deployment Solution 7.x 8.x (DS)

Cause

Automation environment(WinPE) is missing the correct NIC driver for this client.  It is most likely that the correct NIC driver(matching pci/ven, correct OS, architecture) needed for the client has not been added.

Additionally with DS 7.5/7.6, the correct NIC may have been added but the BDC package, used in building the automation environment, may not be assigned to the Site Server that the client is registering to or has not replicated to Site Server.  With Automation Folders, both in Ghost and DS, the Automation Folder has to be redeployed to clients in order to update the package on the client.

Resolution

GSS
A guide to 'Locating the correct network drivers for your client PC on Ghost Solution Suite'

DS
Ensure the BDC package exists on the Site Server the client is connecting to.  If not, configure the BDC package in the Console:

• Settings>All Settings. Then expand Settings>Deployment and Migration>Packages
• Under the Package Servers tab, in the Assign package to: drop down, changed to "All Package Servers".
• Let package deploy to site servers
• Once this has finished Recreate Preboot Environments.

¹What is a compatible NIC driver:
-the client's NIC PNP Device ID exists in the drivers' .INF 
-The driver is compatible with the version of WinPE being used.
-The driver is compatible with the architecture that your WinPE image will be built for, ie x86 or x64.

• WinPE 2.1 = Windows Server 2008
• WinPE 3.1 = Windows 7 SP1
• WinPE 4.0 = Windows 8
• WinPE 5.0 = Windows 8.1
• WinPE10 = Windows 10
• WinPE11 = Windows 11

Additional Note:  Some drivers will be labeled with an NDIS classification. Here is a quick reference:

• NDIS 6.5 - Windows 10
• NDIS 6.4 - Windows 8.1 and Server 2012 R2
• NDIS 6.3 - Windows 8 and Server 2012
• NDIS 6.2 - Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2
• NDIS 6.1 - Windows Vista SP1 and Server 2008
• NDIS 6.0 - Windows Vista pre SP1