Well, if you are using a cross over cable that part is good. But I have no idea how you are going to get Windows to send Internet traffic to one NIC but when you want to get to the Knoppix box use the other one. They may be a way, I just don't know it. Yea, leave DNS server blank, cause you don't have one and will not be able to do DNS lookup. The numbers you posted should work. But you are certainly making things hard for yourself if you don't use a router, and your windows system is at extreme risk (lets face it' it's very likely already infested with so much stuff that any networking task could be a problem).