connected to gateway via two connections

manulekamanuleka
edited September 2007 in Science & Tech
i've got my laptop connected to my gateway pc via ethernet cable and wireless...

just out of curiousity, how does the OS (windows xp) handle this? is there a way of say, controlling and directing traffic through these two connections?

like choosing to use one connection for internet and other for file sharing?

Comments

  • mtroxmtrox Minnesota
    edited September 2007
    Do you mean your using internet connection sharing where you have two network adapters? If that's what you mean, one adapter connects to the internet, the other hands out new IP addresses to other computers. It has to be that way and you can't designate them the way you're talking...and I'm not sure what you'd gain.

    Is that what you mean?
  • manulekamanuleka
    edited September 2007
    yeah... i'm just curious because i plugged my laptop to my gateway pc to copy some songs... using cable is faster ofcourse but my wireless was on at the same time connecting to the same gateway pc... hence two connections... i don't really see the use of it but yeah... just curious...
  • kryystkryyst Ontario, Canada
    edited September 2007
    In this case because both devices are connecting to the same network it will only use one device for doing any sort of communication. Depending on your machines settings it'll either by default choose the fastest device, the first connected device, or the last connected device. Generally speaking unless you have some network control settings that allow you to prioritize which type of device to use your machine will hold onto and use the last device to connect to the network by default.

    What that usually means is that your computer will obtain it's connection first through the lan port, however if your WIFI then connects it will use that as the preferred adapter which is actually detrimental to your network speed. The only time you would use 2 adapters on one machine is if they are connecting to two different network ranges.
  • deicistdeicist Manchester, UK
    edited September 2007
    kryyst wrote:
    In this case because both devices are connecting to the same network it will only use one device for doing any sort of communication. Depending on your machines settings it'll either by default choose the fastest device, the first connected device, or the last connected device. Generally speaking unless you have some network control settings that allow you to prioritize which type of device to use your machine will hold onto and use the last device to connect to the network by default.

    What that usually means is that your computer will obtain it's connection first through the lan port, however if your WIFI then connects it will use that as the preferred adapter which is actually detrimental to your network speed. The only time you would use 2 adapters on one machine is if they are connecting to two different network ranges.

    XP uses the binding order (set in network adaptors->advanced->advanced settings) to determine which adaptor to try first, as Kryst said the last device connected goes to the top of the list but you can use the binding order GUI to change the order.

    Also, if you have applications that use different protocols (unlikely, but you never know) you can use bindings to bind different protocols to different adaptors.
  • manulekamanuleka
    edited September 2007
    cool thannks guys
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