Different metrics for default GW when obtaining settings from W2K

Hello,

I use Windows 2000 Server in my LAN. W2K runs DHCP server and WINS. All
works fine . However, sometimes my main route may be down. So I have
another (backup) route. The main router's IP is 192.168.1.252, backup
router's IP is 1.66. My idea is to offer these two gateways to Win XP
clients. When configuring DHCP server, it is possible to offer two gateways.
But when I use "route print" at Win XP, I see these two GWs with the same
metric. But I'd like to get two GWs with different metrics! Usualy Win XP
should use the small metric GW, if it is down, it will automatically switch
to greater metric GW. Is it possible to organize that somehow in W2K Server?
Googled for hours, no positive result... . Thanks!

It is not going to work like that. Also what a "human" determines is "down"
is not how the machines will determine it is down. If a routing device is
turn on an active it is not "down",...even if the wire on the other side of
it does not do anything. So to a "human" the link is down,...to the PC it is
not down.

Redundant paths have to "happen" between segments (between routers and
decisions are made by the routers),...not between individual Hosts and their
Default Gateways.

To switch Gateways is called "Dead Gateway Detection".
Here is how it works,...and it can be ugly.

128978 - Dead Gateway Detection in TCP/IP for Windows NT
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;EN-US;128978

171564 - TCP/IP Dead Gateway Detection Algorithm Updated for Windows NT
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;EN-US;171564



--
Phillip Windell [MCP, MVP, CCNA]
www.wandtv.com





"Nick Mashchenko" <Nick (E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
message news:4305BD66-549B-43AF-B198-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello,
>
> I use Windows 2000 Server in my LAN. W2K runs DHCP server and WINS. All
> works fine . However, sometimes my main route may be down. So I have
> another (backup) route. The main router's IP is 192.168.1.252, backup
> router's IP is 1.66. My idea is to offer these two gateways to Win XP
> clients. When configuring DHCP server, it is possible to offer two
> gateways.
> But when I use "route print" at Win XP, I see these two GWs with the same
> metric. But I'd like to get two GWs with different metrics! Usualy Win XP
> should use the small metric GW, if it is down, it will automatically
> switch
> to greater metric GW. Is it possible to organize that somehow in W2K
> Server?
> Googled for hours, no positive result... . Thanks!

Hm... These URLs are about NT 3.5-4.0... Never mind...
So, do I do right if I set up two GWs in the DHCP's MMC and it will offer
these two GWs to clients with the same metric and when Win XP detects that
first GW is down (in Win XP terms it will send packets over second GW?
If yes, when first GW is up again, will Win XP return to the first GW or
stay at second one? NT 3.5-4 needs a registry patch for that to work, but
what about Win XP?

--
MNV-UANIC



"Phillip Windell" wrote:

> It is not going to work like that. Also what a "human" determines is "down"
> is not how the machines will determine it is down. If a routing device is
> turn on an active it is not "down",...even if the wire on the other side of
> it does not do anything. So to a "human" the link is down,...to the PC it is
> not down.
>
> Redundant paths have to "happen" between segments (between routers and
> decisions are made by the routers),...not between individual Hosts and their
> Default Gateways.
>
> To switch Gateways is called "Dead Gateway Detection".
> Here is how it works,...and it can be ugly.
>
> 128978 - Dead Gateway Detection in TCP/IP for Windows NT
> http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;EN-US;128978
>
> 171564 - TCP/IP Dead Gateway Detection Algorithm Updated for Windows NT
> http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;EN-US;171564
>
> --
> Phillip Windell [MCP, MVP, CCNA]
> www.wandtv.com
>
>
>
>
>
> "Nick Mashchenko" <Nick (E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
> message news:4305BD66-549B-43AF-B198-(E-Mail Removed)...
> > Hello,
> >
> > I use Windows 2000 Server in my LAN. W2K runs DHCP server and WINS. All
> > works fine . However, sometimes my main route may be down. So I have
> > another (backup) route. The main router's IP is 192.168.1.252, backup
> > router's IP is 1.66. My idea is to offer these two gateways to Win XP
> > clients. When configuring DHCP server, it is possible to offer two
> > gateways.
> > But when I use "route print" at Win XP, I see these two GWs with the same
> > metric. But I'd like to get two GWs with different metrics! Usualy Win XP
> > should use the small metric GW, if it is down, it will automatically
> > switch
> > to greater metric GW. Is it possible to organize that somehow in W2K
> > Server?
> > Googled for hours, no positive result... . Thanks!
>
>
>

"Nick Mashchenko" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
message news:F237957A-4D0F-4224-8962-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hm... These URLs are about NT 3.5-4.0... Never mind...

Doesn't matter. Hasn't changed,..still works the same way.

> So, do I do right if I set up two GWs in the DHCP's MMC and it will offer
> these two GWs to clients with the same metric and when Win XP detects that
> first GW is down (in Win XP terms it will send packets over second GW?

Theroetically,..yes.
I never actually tried it, never wanted too. :-)
I probably would try everything short of death to make sure I never create
such a situation.

In our system we run two T1 lines into the same router. The router handles
the failover internally itself. The LAN is oblivious to it happening. When
both lines are up the router load balances the two lines in such a way to
double our bandwidth so that the second line isn't "waisted" when they are
both up. But if one line goes down the other keeps us going.

> If yes, when first GW is up again, will Win XP return to the first GW or
> stay at second one? NT 3.5-4 needs a registry patch for that to work, but
> what about Win XP?

I didn't know that worked even with the patch,...never even heard of such a
patch. As far as I knew, the only way it will switch back to the first one
is to yank the power or the Ether cable on the second one so that the Host
thinks it is down.


--
Phillip Windell [MCP, MVP, CCNA]
www.wandtv.com