2 Separate Networks, I want to use 1 for Web Browser and the other as a LAN-only, can it be done?

[Supafast]

Okay, trying to make this simple... thanks to anyone who looks and even more to anyone who has an idea.
There are 2 NIC's in my computer running Windows XP (Linux is not an option in this situation)
I have a DSL line hooked to 1 NIC and I have a LAN of many computers hooked to the other NIC.
Is there a way to use the DSL for all internet activity and have all file and print sharing use the other NIC?

Right now in both Firefox and IE it will choose to route internet traffic to one or the other and then change it later (kind of round-robin maybe?). I tried messing with routing tables and that makes all my Internet traffic want to go to one NIC and never try the 2nd one when the first fails out...

Is there a software solution, inexpensive hardware solution or different way of working it (network adapter order, DNS entries, route metrics, utilize ICS, etc.)

Let me know if you have any ideas or if you have tried something like this and it's pretty much impossible (sad if so, but I'll have to accept it).

Thanks again,
Craig

Xtreme11
Supafast

 

[JackMDS]

Do you expect to gain anything from such a concoction? Or you experience the syndrome of, I have an extra NIC and I can not let go that it is Not in use.

You are much better of getting yourself a Router and configure a Normal Network.:thumbsup:

:sun:

 

[Supafast]

Hi Jack, yes there is a very real purpose and need for this configuration. I wouldn't bug people about it if I just had a fix to try to utilize my 2nd network port. And yes, I am VERY disappointed in Microsoft yet again for making this so hard if not impossible to do when I could do it in under 10 minutes in Linux. Both networks already have routers btw. If only they supported dual ISP's and traffic routing, I'd be all set, but I don't have that kinda cash laying around to buy a router with those features :<

Thanks anyways...

 

[JackMDS]

Well I guess that there is something Good in Windows, otherwise you can switch to Penguin and be happy

It is Not clear what you have and what you want to do your original question is,? Is there a way to use the DSL for all internet activity and have all file and print sharing use the other NIC? In the second post you jumped from File Sharing to Dual Networks and Dual ISP and traffic Routing.

If you think that you can get more Bandwidth without special services from an ISP that provides Bonding, Nah, it would Not work with any OS.

In any case for regular two Internet Connection Load balancing D-Link has a Dual WAN Router for a little less than $100.

If you are not looking for Bonding with WinXP Pro you can Bridge two Network through the second NIC. And control the Connection usage with the Gateway IP of each Router.

You would have one Network for Files and the Internet connection would be determined by the Gateway address.

As for the file sharing comment, you can put a second NIC on all computers.

Bind File Sharing to one NIC in each computer and do not bind it to the other NIC.

If the additional NIC is Giga and they are all connected to a Giga Switch you can get yourself a very fast File sharing Network.

Or leave every thing with one NIC, install in addition to TCP/IP NetBEUI. Unbind TCP/IP from file sharing and bind NetBEUI only to File sharing.

:sun:

 

[nweaver]

route /?

learn it, use it...

only way to get something like this to work correctly. Removing the gateway from nic2 will stop Inet traffic, but if yours goes down, you have to put it back in to use the secondary router.