Do not manually assign node IDs. Run the sp_driver_discover command (or GUI equivalent). Driver 2.0 will map the entire network topology, including hidden bridges and repeaters, in under 30 seconds.
Driver 2.0 supports live patching. Use the "Rolling Update" feature. This updates one device at a time, ensuring that if a new driver version has a bug, 80% of your machinery stays online while you roll back the faulty 20%. sp driver 2.0