def _configure_static_interface(interface, **settings):
    '''
    Configure an interface that is not detected as a service by Connman (i.e. link is down)

    :param interface: interface label
    :param settings:
            - ip
            - netmask
            - gateway
            - dns
            - name
    :return: True if settings were applied successfully.
    :rtype: bool
    '''
    interface = pyiface.Interface(name=interface)
    parser = configparser.ConfigParser()
    if os.path.exists(INTERFACES_CONFIG):
        try:
            with salt.utils.files.fopen(INTERFACES_CONFIG, 'r') as config_file:
                parser.readfp(config_file)
        except configparser.MissingSectionHeaderError:
            pass
    hwaddr = interface.hwaddr[:-1]
    hwaddr_section_number = ''.join(hwaddr.split(':'))
    if not parser.has_section('interface_{0}'.format(hwaddr_section_number)):
        parser.add_section('interface_{0}'.format(hwaddr_section_number))
    ip_address = settings.get('ip', '0.0.0.0')
    netmask = settings.get('netmask', '0.0.0.0')
    gateway = settings.get('gateway', '0.0.0.0')
    dns_servers = settings.get('dns', '')
    name = settings.get('name', 'ethernet_cable_{0}'.format(hwaddr_section_number))
    parser.set('interface_{0}'.format(hwaddr_section_number), 'IPv4', '{0}/{1}/{2}'.
               format(ip_address, netmask, gateway))
    parser.set('interface_{0}'.format(hwaddr_section_number), 'Nameservers', dns_servers)
    parser.set('interface_{0}'.format(hwaddr_section_number), 'Name', name)
    parser.set('interface_{0}'.format(hwaddr_section_number), 'MAC', hwaddr)
    parser.set('interface_{0}'.format(hwaddr_section_number), 'Type', 'ethernet')
    with salt.utils.files.fopen(INTERFACES_CONFIG, 'w') as config_file:
        parser.write(config_file)
    return True