XP will dual network cards allow for two unique TCP-IP protocols?

[Bane]

Have a Windows XP computer that is connected to a machine, but computer will need periodically connecting to company network to backup files.

The issue I'm having with the onboard LAN is the "Internet Protocol (TCP-IP)" requires different IP address for machine and company network connection. May be other settings in advance screen too, as can't remember.

Is there a way to set-up two TCP-IP protocols, and easily switch to correct one depending on what network cable is plugged into?

Or if a PCI network card was added in addition to onboard network, would this allow for both connections to function at the same time? If two "Internet Protocol (TCP-IP)" listed with one for each adapter.

 

[PistolPete]

This is exactly what DHCP is for.

Surely the company network is running DHCP so that sorts that one out, does the other network have a DHCP server? IF not, leave the card set to DHCP for when it's connected to the company netowkr and specify a static alternate address for when it's not.

 

[J.B]

This doesnt make a whole lot of sense to me.

You can have 2 network cards and each one can have its own IP settings.

I think the OP should probably explain the situation a little better. Are you going to have them both pluged in at one time or will you be moving the computer to connect it to the work network?

As said above, this is the kind of thing DHCP is for.

 

[Bane]

A more descriptive explanation as I’m at PC today.

At the moment there is only one LAN port on the computer (onboard LAN, not a plug-in card).

The instrument it is attached to requires the "Internet Protocol (TCP-IP)" to use a specific IP address and sub mask. Also in the advance box and DNS tab it has "Append primary and connection specific DNS suffixes" and "Append parent suffixes of the primary DNS" ticked.

Looking at another computer connected to company network, the TCP-IP is all set to "Obtain IP/DNS... automatically" and the Advance settings and DNS tab have "Append these DNS suffixes (in order)" with entries.

So what I was trying to do was enable support for both on the one LAN connection. Or if that wasn't feasible, if a plug-in network card was added I wanted to know if it would create two separate entries of "Internet Protocol (TCP-IP)". Allowing both connections to be active at once.

Since looking at the TCP-IP screen again I noticed there is an "Alternative Connection" tab.

So it should be feasible to support both networks by the onboard LAN? When Windows is logged out of account associated with instrument and logged into a different account to connect to company network?

 

[matthab]

I am awfully lost.....

Can you draw a network layout so we can visually see what your trying todo.

 

[Bane]

I am awfully lost.....

Can you draw a network layout so we can visually see what your trying todo.

Hope this is what you meant by network layout.

Will get to play around with it later, so hoping the Alternative Configurtion tab I posted previously will work.

 

[Amnesia]

im confused but then i didn't bother reading your post
what you are trying to do(looking at pic) should work fine, it looks the same as having one network card setup for a home lan and another network card plugged in for the internet....i had this setup for years.

 

[Bane]

A slight update.

The Alternate Configuration tab (see post 4) has resolved issue when disconnect instrument from local PC, and connect PC to network. So no longer have to alter TCP-IP settings since I putt the instrument requirements in the alternate tab.

I think some of the confusion was due to me referring to instruments network cable. But this is just to connect it directly to a local PC, and not a networked PC (in our case anyway).

What I'm planning to do next, once sourced a network card, is still have the instrument connected to a local PC, and use the additional network port to connect that PC to company network. Which sort of matches Amnesia's example. Not sure if it's possible or even suitable to have instrument controlled via a networked PC instead of local PC, especially on our infrastructure anyway.

 

[ruskie]

You basically want a PC with two NICS, One NIC connected to the Companies network and the other NIC connected to a machine (Instrument)

Providing the two cards are on different networks, this configuration will work with very little config. The Company NIC will already receive the correct TCP/IP settings from the DHCP server. You just need to manually set the TCP/IP settings for the other NIC, so it matches the same network as the instrument machine. The windows routing table will assist in communicating with the correct device.