The disclosure herein describes a system, which provides network configuration to a respective network adapter of a large number of cloned virtual machines. During operation, the system stores one or more network identifiers assignable to a network adapter of a cloned virtual machine in a pool of virtual machines cloned from a parent virtual machine. A respective network identifier corresponds to a respective network configuration. The system then determines whether a network identifier for a network adapter of a cloned virtual machine is available. If so, the system assigns the network identifier to the network adapter in response to the network identifier being available, thereby associating the network adapter with the corresponding network configuration.