Serve with 2 NICs on same sub-net.

I bought a new Dell Server with 2 NICs to replace an older server which is
running our MS Exchange 5.5 services. I got 2 NICS because one was to connect
to the LAN and one to the Internet. That has changed as I obtained a separate
Firewall rather than try and run ISA Server alongside Exchange 2003 on the
same server. So my question is:

Will it work if I now configure both NICs to run on the same internal subnet
with fixed IP addresses? If I do that would there be any benefit? Would it
confuse WINS & DNS having two IP addresses with the same NetBIOS server name?
Or should I just disable one of the NICs and leave it disconnected from the
LAN?

Would it be possible to get DNS & WINS to recognise only one NIC IP address
and set the Firewall to deliver SMTP packets to the other NIC in an effort to
spread traffic?

Any advice or pointers to articles on the matter greatly appreciated.

If you want to use both nic's on the same subnet, you need to bond them. If
they are Intel, they have a utility to do that. Look on Dell's support site
for the install. Otherwise just disable one.

"Maurice" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:69B5BDE8-4E51-42E2-91A5-(E-Mail Removed)...
> I bought a new Dell Server with 2 NICs to replace an older server which is
> running our MS Exchange 5.5 services. I got 2 NICS because one was to
connect
> to the LAN and one to the Internet. That has changed as I obtained a
separate
> Firewall rather than try and run ISA Server alongside Exchange 2003 on the
> same server. So my question is:
>
> Will it work if I now configure both NICs to run on the same internal
subnet
> with fixed IP addresses? If I do that would there be any benefit? Would it
> confuse WINS & DNS having two IP addresses with the same NetBIOS server
name?
> Or should I just disable one of the NICs and leave it disconnected from
the
> LAN?
>
> Would it be possible to get DNS & WINS to recognise only one NIC IP
address
> and set the Firewall to deliver SMTP packets to the other NIC in an effort
to
> spread traffic?
>
> Any advice or pointers to articles on the matter greatly appreciated.

"Maurice" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:69B5BDE8-4E51-42E2-91A5-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Will it work if I now configure both NICs to run on the same internal
subnet
> with fixed IP addresses? If I do that would there be any benefit?

No.

> Would it confuse WINS & DNS having two IP addresses with the same NetBIOS
server name?

Yes

> Or should I just disable one of the NICs and leave it disconnected from
the LAN?

Yes

> Would it be possible to get DNS & WINS to recognise only one NIC IP
address
> and set the Firewall to deliver SMTP packets to the other NIC in an effort
to
> spread traffic?

Maybe, but just do things the way the are meant to be and everything will
work great. Don't try to "outsmart the system" as the saying goes.

--

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

Thanks, you confirmed my suspicions.

"Phillip Windell" wrote:

> "Maurice" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:69B5BDE8-4E51-42E2-91A5-(E-Mail Removed)...
> > Will it work if I now configure both NICs to run on the same internal
> subnet
> > with fixed IP addresses? If I do that would there be any benefit?
>
> No.
>
> > Would it confuse WINS & DNS having two IP addresses with the same NetBIOS
> server name?
>
> Yes
>
> > Or should I just disable one of the NICs and leave it disconnected from
> the LAN?
>
> Yes
>
> > Would it be possible to get DNS & WINS to recognise only one NIC IP
> address
> > and set the Firewall to deliver SMTP packets to the other NIC in an effort
> to
> > spread traffic?
>
> Maybe, but just do things the way the are meant to be and everything will
> work great. Don't try to "outsmart the system" as the saying goes.
>
> --
>
> Phillip Windell [MCP, MVP, CCNA]
> www.wandtv.com
>
>
>
>