Win2K dual ethernet problems

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My laptop is connected to two networks, one through a docking station, the other through PCMCIA card with a fixed IP. When I have both cards enabled I have times where it seems the computer is confused on which card to use and I get network timeouts. The connection via the PCMCIA is an local network with no “outside” links (ie internet). When I try to use my web browser I will often get a network timeout unless I disable the PCMCIA card and have only the docking station card active. Once I connect via the dock, I can reenable the PCMCIA and all is well…until the next time. Is this a problem with Win2k? My partner does not have this issue with his WinNT laptop using the same setup.

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If you have multiple network adapters then it is your responsibility to tell the operating system which one to use for what traffic.
To see your current routing table you should type
ROUTE PRINT
at a command prompt.

Instructions for adding a default route can be found in technet

StuartR

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Okay, go into your PCMCIA’s connection properties. Then go into your TCP/IP Properties. DELETE the Gateway setting. Just leave it blank. I would write down what it is, but your gateway is usually your IP Address with the last quad being 1.

The reason you must do this, is that a gateway is what tells your computer where to go, when it needs a resource not on it’s subnet. (Your LAN would be your subnet.)

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Thanks for the help! All seems well now.

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What did you do to fix it?

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I’m not totally sure, I tried both suggestions and now there are no problems. A desktop with similar setup still has the same issue though. Dual ethernets, Win2k Server, both cards have fixed ip address for seperate networks. Any attempt to access the web times out unless the second card (no internet access) is disabled. After one connection I can re-enable the second card and all is well until I log out again.

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Try the gateway solution on that computer. If you had a gateway on both NIC’s, that is definitely causing the problem.

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Unfortunately I do have gateways on both NICs but cannot remove them. I am using this PC as a router and a gateway between networks. If I remove the gateway address my routing no longer works and removing the gateway on the other card will prevent me from access the company LAN.

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Removing the gateway on your company’s LAN shouldn’t affect whether you can use their LAN or not, unless their LAN has multiple subnets.

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I tried removing both gateway addresses and still have the same problem. You are right about the LAN, I can still access it.

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Ack No. Leave the gateway in on the NIC that is supposed to see the internet. The gateway is the IP Address for the router on your subnet. It is never used unless you need to access an IP address not on your local subnet(s). Since the internet is it’s own ‘subnet’ (in a manner of speaking), you need to have at least one gateway setup to point to a router that can see the internet.

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