Two Network Connections - One Wired One Wireless

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RayRay - 28 Feb 2008 15:15 GMT

Hoping someone can answer this for me. How does Windows XP react to having
multiple network connection one of them wired the other wireless? The
specific situation we have is users have access to wireless 54Mps within the
building for conference rooms and public areas and a wired network connection
(1 Gb) at their desks. They are told to connect to the wireless only when
needed (setting the ssid profile to connect "On Demand") but many do not and
are at times connected to both wired and wireless. I notice on a Vista
machine that the wireless has a higher Metric (25) compared to the wired
(20). So my assumptions are that it will use the wired unless the connection
is to something directly on the wireless network. Is this correct? If their
were two wired connections of same speed would they have the same metric?
How would Windows react? Would XP and Vista react the same?

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Jack (MVP-Networking). - 28 Feb 2008 18:10 GMT

Hi
Each Network Card's TCP Stack can be set with its own Metrics, it does not
matter whether it is few Wired or Wireless or both, the lower Metrics
regardless of the type would kick in first.
Jack (MVP-Networking).

> Hoping someone can answer this for me. How does Windows XP react to
> having
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> were two wired connections of same speed would they have the same metric?
> How would Windows react? Would XP and Vista react the same?

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Steve Winograd - 28 Feb 2008 18:50 GMT

>Hoping someone can answer this for me. How does Windows XP react to having
>multiple network connection one of them wired the other wireless? The
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>were two wired connections of same speed would they have the same metric?
>How would Windows react? Would XP and Vista react the same?

XP and Vista work the same. When multiple network connections are
available, they use the one with the lowest metric. So those
computers will use the wired (20) connection instead of the wireless
(25) connection.

Windows automatically assigns a metric based on the rated speed of a
connection, as described here:

An explanation of the Automatic Metric feature for Internet Protocol
routes
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/299540

Two wired connections of the same speed would have the same metric.
Windows would choose one or the other and always use that one. To be
sure which one it would use, assign metrics manually to the
connections.

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Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

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Chuck [MVP] - 28 Feb 2008 20:03 GMT

Look at the static route table, to see the metric actually in use. This will
show which order two connections, with the same metric, are used.
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/11/static-route-table.html>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/11/static-route-table.html

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Cheers,
Chuck, MS-MVP 2005-2007 [Windows - Networking]
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/
Paranoia is not a problem, when it's a normal response from experience.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck mvps org.

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