Problem setting NAT client to a fixed address

Hi,

I'm running a Windows 7 virtual under Fusion 5 on Mac OS 10.8.2 and I need a fixed address on the guest.  Following directions I found on the web, I modifies the dhcpd.conf file (/Library/Preferences/VMware Fusion/vmnet8/dhcpd.conf) as follows:

allow unknown-clients;
default-lease-time 1800;                # default is 30 minutes
max-lease-time 7200;                    # default is 2 hours

subnet 192.168.144.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {
        range 192.168.144.128 192.168.144.254;
        option broadcast-address 192.168.144.255;
        option domain-name-servers 192.168.144.2;
        option domain-name localdomain;
        default-lease-time 1800;                # default is 30 minutes
        max-lease-time 7200;                    # default is 2 hours
        option netbios-name-servers 192.168.144.2;
        option routers 192.168.144.2;
}
host vmnet8 {
        hardware ethernet 00:50:56:C0:00:08;
        fixed-address 192.168.144.1;
        option domain-name-servers 0.0.0.0;
        option domain-name "";
        option routers 0.0.0.0;
}

####### VMNET DHCP Configuration. End of "DO NOT MODIFY SECTION" #######

host cheshiregrin {
    hardware ethernet 00-0C-29-30-FD-CE;
    fixed-address 192.168.144.32;
}

The host is cheshiresgrin and I've double triple checked the MAC address and it's correct and I've assigned the IP outside the DHCP range.  But when I restart FUSION and restart the guest, it get's a self assigned IP in the 169.254/16 range and when I go into network properties on the guest, it simply tells me that the "Local Area Connection" does not have a valid IP configuration.

Is it possible that the supplied hostname has some requirement to match the display name of the guest, "Windows 7 x64"?  And if so, since there are embedded spaces, does it require quotes?

I'm baffled. Does anyone a have an idea about what's going on?

Thanks,

Rob