Dual NIC Question

I have a server with Dual NIC. Each NICs are connected to different ISPs. I
noticed that Windows Server 2003 only uses 1 gateway and the gateway used is
in the primary NIC or the NIC that has the fastest connection. Now that my
2nd NIC only serves as a backup when the other NIC dies the other will take
over. However is it also possible for the standby NIC to accept traffic while
its on idle mode? Let's say I will make a Static Route packets from the idle
nic 0.0.0.0 mask 0.0.0.0 will be forwarded to the idle nic's ip address. Is
that possible?

Thanks

"mymobile" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
newsF7F10A0-9F45-43C0-AF92-(E-Mail Removed)...
> I have a server with Dual NIC. Each NICs are connected to different ISPs.
I
> noticed that Windows Server 2003 only uses 1 gateway and the gateway used
is
> in the primary NIC or the NIC that has the fastest connection. Now that my
> 2nd NIC only serves as a backup when the other NIC dies the other will
take
> over. However is it also possible for the standby NIC to accept traffic
while
> its on idle mode?

No.

> Let's say I will make a Static Route packets from the idle
> nic 0.0.0.0 mask 0.0.0.0 will be forwarded to the idle nic's ip address.
Is
> that possible?

No.

If it is a Cable or DSL line then it requires Cable/DSL NAT Devices that
have two WAN ports and can work with two WAN links (most can not,..a few
can).

If it is a T1 line to an ISP then the method must be worked out with the ISP
because it involves configuring redundant paths and Routing Protocols on the
routers and the ISP owns most of the routers involved, in some cases they
own all the routers. Doing it with two ISPs can become extremely complex if
not impossible.

--

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