Network Adapter Not Available During Cluster Configuration with a Crossover Cable (242430)

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SYMPTOMS

When you are installing the Cluster service on the first node in a server cluster, Setup may not detect the network adapter that is connected with a crossover cable. The icon in Network and Dial-up Connections that represents the network adapter connected to the crossover cable is displayed with a red X, and the Network cable unplugged icon in displayed on the taskbar.

You may also receive one of the following error messages:

During installation:

Only a singled Adapter is configured for internal cluster use. If you have multiple adapters you may reconfigure them to avoid a single point of failure.

Or, depending on the network role designated on other network adapters that are detected:

No network adapter was configured for internal cluster use.

CAUSE

Media Sense is a default feature in Windows 2000 that removes bound protocols from an adapter sensed as "down" or "disconnected." Because the second node is powered off to avoid contention on the shared disk, Media Sense flags the network as "disconnected" because there is no end-to-end signal. During installation, the Cluster service does not detect the adapter because there are no protocols bound to the adapter.

RESOLUTION

Use any of the following methods:

Method 1

During the cluster installation, the other node must be booted but stopped at the Boot menu so that there is power to the network adapter but it does not have write access to the shared disks.

Method 2

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.
Disable the Media Sense feature:

Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe).
Locate the following key in the registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters
On the Edit menu, click Add Value, and then add the following registry value:
Value Name: DisableDHCPMediaSense
Data Type: REG_DWORD
Value: 1
Quit Registry Editor, and then restart the computer.

The network adapter still shows the "disconnected" status, but the cluster installation process can detect the adapter as available for cluster communication.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about the Media Sense feature, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

239924 How to Disable Media Sense for TCP/IP in Windows 2000

If you do not use any of the methods in the "Resolution" section of this article, booting the second node (that is connected to the crossover cable) provides the network connectivity that the Cluster service requires, and the network adapter is added to the list of network adapters used by the cluster.

NOTE: The network adapter are configured for both private (node-to-node) and public (client) communications. To set this adapter to only node-to-node communications, in Cluster Administrator, right-click the network adapter, and then click Properties.