Guest-OS: OpenBSD 3.1 Live System - starts from CD and loads the complete system into RAM, unmounts CD when everything is up.

This CD has no preconfigured network-settings. It takes what it gets. So it will be a witness that can be trusted.
While system loads, 4 nics are detected: le1- le2 - le3 - le4 . Le1 gets IP from DHCP while the other nics were activated manually.

The vmware GUI only offers options for 3 nics. So you have to add number 4 by adding it to the *.vmx by hand.

The test-machine had no Sound-card and no USB. I don't know for sure but I think that the number of PCI-slots will limit the number of Nics that can be added by hand.

WARNING: VMware comes with 3 Nics - running 4 Nics may not be supported.

Sorry - 4 nics seems to be the end of the road - I have disabled all com-ports and all par-ports, tried with only one ide-port but had no success. I don't wonder about that because vmware-computers come with 5 PCI-slots and I have already all of them in use. So if you still want more you have to use com-ports for modems.
I haven't tested if laplink over USB works ...

ethernet0.present = TRUE
ethernet0.connectionType = "custom"
ethernet0.vnet = "VMnet0"

ethernet1.present = TRUE
ethernet1.connectionType = "custom"
ethernet1.vnet = "VMnet1"

ethernet2.present = TRUE
ethernet2.connectionType = "custom"
ethernet2.vnet = "VMnet2"

ethernet3.present = TRUE
ethernet3.connectionType = "custom"
ethernet3.vnet = "VMnet3"