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Multiple Ethernet cards...can it work right?

gnatt66

gnatt66

New Member
Hey all, I decided to push the second computer i had been using for RIPping only into a dual role. I had previously installed a second gigabit ethernet card (which wasnt supported by vista, but i found a work around online and kinda got it to work)

So yesterday it seemed like the internet card wouldnt work when the pc was communicating with the printer (vp300i) and but would when it wasnt ( lots of restarts to keep the printer connected as well). like it was saying "either/or, but not both"

So today i purchased a vista compliant ethernet card and it's no different. Good install, it sees the connection, etc. It seems to drop the net intermittently and strangely enough will continue to work on tabs that are already open (especially THIS site..for real) but when i add a new tab, open another browser, etc etc...no net connection.

if i restart it always comes back, or if i go into the utility and repair the connection it will work as well.

is there some step i have to take to tell the pc to leave each card to it's specific task?
 
B Snyder

B Snyder

New Member
I can't tell you how or why it works but I've been running 2 gigabit ethernet connections on my rip computer (XP pro OS) for over a year. My modem/router is connected to one and my VP540 is connected to the other.
 
jiarby

jiarby

New Member
use different network addresses... for example:
192.168.1.x for normal stuff
192.168.0.x for printer
 
GK

GK

New Member
As its already been said, yes it will work (if you configure the settings properly and it wasnt this way from the factory) most new servers (even basic ones) are all dual ethernet ready and even the midrange to high end home computer market are leaving the factory with dual ethernet.
 
gnatt66

gnatt66

New Member
hmm...so it's me and/or my settings. I'll work on it tomorrow..i'm home with a sick kid today. thanks for all the replies!
 
Jen Goodwin

Jen Goodwin

New Member
Did you get this resolved? Because I cannot get mine to work either; or should I say keep them working. I get them all set and I can print to the Edge and get online. Then when I turn my computer off and turn it back on, one of the cards is no longer working. This has happened for two days now. I've had to go in and install the driver for the card again this morning and yesterday I had to screw around with IP addresses to get them to work. What is the trick?
To get the edge to work, it has to be IP 169.254.128.129 - so should my ethernet card for the internet start with 169.254 as well? If I have it starting as 192.168; is that my issue?
 
gnatt66

gnatt66

New Member
Jen Goodwin said:
Did you get this resolved? Because I cannot get mine to work either; or should I say keep them working. I get them all set and I can print to the Edge and get online. Then when I turn my computer off and turn it back on, one of the cards is no longer working. This has happened for two days now. I've had to go in and install the driver for the card again this morning and yesterday I had to screw around with IP addresses to get them to work. What is the trick?
To get the edge to work, it has to be IP 169.254.128.129 - so should my ethernet card for the internet start with 169.254 as well? If I have it starting as 192.168; is that my issue?
Click to expand...


i didnt get it to work yet..it's definately gonna take some messing with, and i had some orders to catch up on after a day out of work. i do know as soon as i get the connection from versaworks to my printer going the internet connection on the other card goes out, every time.
 
Jen Goodwin

Jen Goodwin

New Member
Installing the driver again seemed to fix my issue. I rebooted and they are still both working! They do still have the same subnet mask, but it seems to work. Knock on wood!
 
TresL

TresL

New Member
Same mask is fine.
Just need a different IP range.

192.168.100.0
255.255.255.0

is different than
192.168.101.0
255.255.255.0
 
4

47CP

New Member
TresL said:
Same mask is fine.
Just need a different IP range.

192.168.100.0
255.255.255.0

is different than
192.168.101.0
255.255.255.0
Click to expand...

Unless I am thinking wrong, those two IP's would not talk to each other unless you changed the mask to 255.255.0.0. (on both)

DaveW
 
4

47CP

New Member
Not being argumentative and I am no upper level routing expert...

BUt, on any network I have setup with a 255.255.255.0 mask, 192.168.100.x and 192.168.101.x would not see each other. I have a very similar setup here at home with 192.168.48.x as the work VPN side which powers the VOIP phone and 192.168.254.x for general web surfing. The two sides cannot see each other on the lan.

Here is some info on masks: http://www.network4all.nl/wp/wordpress/?p=22

I think you'd want 255.255.254.0 to see both those ranges.

But, all that being said, why would a small network need this many IP's? A single range would be 254 devices which should cover most places. :)

DaveW
 
TresL

TresL

New Member
That is correct, they are on different networks.
It's easier to understand 24 bit subnets(255.255.255.0) that is why I used that.

Same subnet is different than same subnet mask.
I was meaning to use something like that on the 2 different cards.
To use them on the same network, they will need to be set in a "TEAM".
Which I don't think you want to do.
That is used primarily for network redundancy or load balancing.

There can be issues however when you have 2 default gateways.
You can leave one NIC without a gateway or you will need to set the metric on the default route/gateway to have priority.
That would explain why when the second NIC was connected, the other broke.
The route for the second NIC is added when it becomes active.
 
choucove

choucove

New Member
I'm not an expert in programming, but from what I understand if your NIC is receiving a 169.x.x.x address then there is an error with something. This is a reserved address that your computer uses when it cannot receive an address from the gateway/DHCP server, and one is not set static. Generally speaking when I've done troubleshooting on a network and computer has one of these addresses, it is an error in the configuration of the IPs. You shouldn't be using this IP range as your network I believe.

What I have run into before on a network-connected printer was that by default it had a set static IP address for the device itself, such as 192.168.100.1 set in either a configuration window (which you have to access into using the device's IP address through a browser or similar application) or can be located with the documentation of the printer itself. For you to recognize that device in the network, the IP address of your NIC connected to that device has to be in the same network. In other words, if the printer's IP is as above at 192.168.100.1 your NIC mus have a static IP set to 192.168.100.x or it will not recognize the printer.

Find out if your printer has a default IP address and what it is, that way you can set your computer NIC IP address to be within the same network. From there then you should first test by pinging the IP address of the printer. If that's successful, you should be pretty much ready to go.
 
jiarby

jiarby

New Member
Unless I am thinking wrong, those two IP's would not talk to each other unless you changed the mask to 255.255.0.0. (on both)
Click to expand...

that's the whole point of having TWO different ethernet ports! LOL!
You want to keep traffic from one LAN from clogging up another LAN. You can have your DVD torrent downloads getting bogged down when you decide you want to RIP a 2gb print job.

The RIP PC has two cards... ONE to go to the printer. The other connects the RIP PC to the regular local area network.

you can also set up an ethernet bridge
 
4

47CP

New Member
jiarby said:
that's the whole point of having TWO different ethernet ports! LOL!
You want to keep traffic from one LAN from clogging up another LAN. You can have your DVD torrent downloads getting bogged down when you decide you want to RIP a 2gb print job.

The RIP PC has two cards... ONE to go to the printer. The other connects the RIP PC to the regular local area network.

you can also set up an ethernet bridge
Click to expand...

Good point. Your printer is connected directly or through another switch?

DaveW
 
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