problem with dual network ports

Windows XP service pack 3
my PC has two network cards. One for general internet access (first port)
and another (second port) for data collection from another device. I have
to collect data on the second port, I can't do it on the first port. The
second port ip settings are just ip address and subnet mask, it has no
default gateway or dns settings. Problem is my PC sometimes 'chooses' the
second network port and I don't get any internet access. Is there a way to
configure the pc so that it only chooses the first network port for general
internet and network and ignores the other one? Thanks for any help.

tg wrote:
> Windows XP service pack 3
> my PC has two network cards. One for general internet access (first port)
> and another (second port) for data collection from another device. I have
> to collect data on the second port, I can't do it on the first port. The
> second port ip settings are just ip address and subnet mask, it has no
> default gateway or dns settings. Problem is my PC sometimes 'chooses' the
> second network port and I don't get any internet access. Is there a way to
> configure the pc so that it only chooses the first network port for general
> internet and network and ignores the other one? Thanks for any help.
>
>
>

You can have quite fine control if you use the command-line "route"
command. Start by doing a "route print" and then consider "route add".

Phil, London

Hi
In general this configuration is used to choose the preferred NIC.
http://www.ezlan.net/metrics.html
However, you really want to do is to put the second NIC and what ever it
connects to on a different subnet.
Jack (MS, MVP-Networking).


"tg" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:4aaa49a8$1$2543$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Windows XP service pack 3
> my PC has two network cards. One for general internet access (first port)
> and another (second port) for data collection from another device. I have
> to collect data on the second port, I can't do it on the first port. The
> second port ip settings are just ip address and subnet mask, it has no
> default gateway or dns settings. Problem is my PC sometimes 'chooses' the
> second network port and I don't get any internet access. Is there a way to
> configure the pc so that it only chooses the first network port for
> general
> internet and network and ignores the other one? Thanks for any help.
>
>
>

On Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:59:05 +0100, "tg" <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

> Windows XP service pack 3
> my PC has two network cards. One for general internet access (first port)
> and another (second port) for data collection from another device. I have
> to collect data on the second port, I can't do it on the first port. The
> second port ip settings are just ip address and subnet mask, it has no
> default gateway or dns settings. Problem is my PC sometimes 'chooses' the
> second network port and I don't get any internet access. Is there a way to
> configure the pc so that it only chooses the first network port for general
> internet and network and ignores the other one? Thanks for any help.

Both interfaces should be present. What do you mean by the PC choosing
one? What are you seeing, other than a loss of connectivity, that leads
you to believe the issue is from something wrong between the interfaces
being chosen? Could you give the IP settings of the interfaces and when
this next happens, could you run from a command prompt: route print and
copy the output into a post here. Do you know how to copy the contents of
a command prompt window and paste it into a windows window?

Tony

"tg" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:4aaa49a8$1$2543$(E-Mail Removed)...

thanks for all the response here. I managed to resolve the issue by
purchasing a 2 port network card and installing that. Even that didn't work
at first because the card self-installed microsoft's own (crappy old)
drivers from 2001 but I managed to find some updated drivers for it and now
all is peachy with both nic's working properly and internet access too.