I use a static ip on my box so I can reliably ssh into it. Real easy.
Boot with "nodhcp" in the boot codes.
Place something like this in /opt/bootlocal.sh:
ifconfig eth0 192.168.0.10 # Address for your box
route add default gw 192.168.0.1 # Your internet router or firewall address
Then include in the backup, of course.