Networking Question

Feb 13, 2005 6 Replies
A

Windows will automatically default to the faster of the two - theoretically.

"In XP, the default interface metric for all network adapters is set to Automatic, which causes the adapter to use the fastest available connection. But for some reason, the wireless card installation program had set the wired interface metric to 1 and left the wireless interface set to Automatic. This change had the effect of setting the wireless metric to 0 (although you can't actually set the metric to 0, XP gives priority to an interface metric set to Automatic over an interface metric set to 1). The OS uses the lowest-numbered interface (in this case, the automatically set wireless interface) for all default network traffic. Resetting the interface metrics for all network adapters to Automatic returned the default behavior and gave priority to the fastest network."

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J

Hi, I have both an Ethernet card and a wifi card installed on my Toshiba Tecra 8000 laptop, and they're both connected to my Ethernet Switch/Wifi Access Point router (Westell VersaLink Model 327W). When I open Internet Explorer, how does it choose which of those two network connections to choose? And how can I force it to choose one or the other?



Thanks, Joey.


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D

"Joey_" wrote in news:MYDPd.28162$f%5.8239 @trndny03:

What are you talking about here? I'll assume you're going to use one other at any given time. So *Disable* the NIC that you're not using and *Enable* the NIC that you're going to use with the O/S. Or you unplug the wire from the wire NIC or *Eject* the wireless card out of the slot.

Duane :)

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P

Toshiba has a program called "configfree" for doing network connections etc that usually override drivers/control panel etc.. You can set up "profiles" to force one or another, but they usually come default, with BOTH enabled and bridged.. If wired is connected it will try and use that, if no wire, it will try wireless. If you try and do something in the control panel, it is overridden by the toshiba configfree program.

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R

Ever used a dialup connection while still connected to broadband? You get sub-56k as your link.

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B

I don;t have your model but my Toshiba laptop has a taskbar icon labeled Network Device Switch and can choose any connection I want & that's waht it will use. Its prime purpose is for enabling or disabling components of the laptops internal network - confuses many as the IR is called wireless and has nothing to do with wifi nor any external pc cards.

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A

I don't discount that fact at all Roger. My point is in the metrics. There are many configuration settings that come into play here. For me, in my experiences with the 100 plus laptops that I manage, when setting the metrics as described above, Windows does actually choose the faster of the two.

I'll have to try that theory though Roger. If you connect to broadband while you're dialed up what happens? Windows is a goofy OS sometimes.

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