wireless + wired connection issue...

Many of our company laptops have both a wired and wireless nic built in.
Both interfaces are used at different times - and the wireless is usually
disabled when the wires connection is being used. Each if the interfaces is
assigned an IP address by our DHCP server. The DNS Host A record for the
laptops changes from time to time as one time it will be the IP address of
the wireless interface and another time it will be the IP of the wired
interface.

I have some software that I use and in there I'd like to address the laptops
by name - and have it work all teh time - no matter how the laptop is
currently connected. Currerntly, it doesn't always work - becasue the IP
being returned by DNS is the opposite of what the laptop is actually using
at that time.

Is there a way to "bridge" (not sure if that is the correct lingo) the two
connections so that they both use the same ip address - or is this not
possible?

Thanks, Brad.

It is not possible.

Microsoft DNS is dynamic. It will change "on the fly" when the laptop is put
on the LAN. If it is not then maybe you need to delete the DNS entries and
let them re-create themselves.

On an *individual* machine the DNS lookups are cached for about 30
minutes,...so even if it is correct on the DNS Server, the client may not be
aware of the change. In this context the client is the one making the
connection,...not the one being connected to.

Solution is to make sure the laptops always connect the same way every time
on the LAN. Either always use wired or always use wireless. If you always
use wired while on the LAN then change the SSID or the WPA key for the
wireless so the Laptops quit using it and then have them remove the
"wireless network" from their Prefered Networks. They can use wireless when
they are traveling.


--
Phillip Windell
www.wandtv.com

The views expressed, are my own and not those of my employer, or Microsoft,
or anyone else associated with me, including my cats.
-----------------------------------------------------

"Brad Pears" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Many of our company laptops have both a wired and wireless nic built in.
> Both interfaces are used at different times - and the wireless is usually
> disabled when the wires connection is being used. Each if the interfaces
> is assigned an IP address by our DHCP server. The DNS Host A record for
> the laptops changes from time to time as one time it will be the IP
> address of the wireless interface and another time it will be the IP of
> the wired interface.
>
> I have some software that I use and in there I'd like to address the
> laptops by name - and have it work all teh time - no matter how the laptop
> is currently connected. Currerntly, it doesn't always work - becasue the
> IP being returned by DNS is the opposite of what the laptop is actually
> using at that time.
>
> Is there a way to "bridge" (not sure if that is the correct lingo) the two
> connections so that they both use the same ip address - or is this not
> possible?
>
> Thanks, Brad.
>

That's too bad...

Unfortunately we have some areas here that are not serviced with ethernet
cables and the laptop users use wireless when in those areas. Too much of a
pain to put ethernet in too.

I'll just have to live with the issues I am having.

Thanks, Brad

"Phillip Windell" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> It is not possible.
>
> Microsoft DNS is dynamic. It will change "on the fly" when the laptop is
> put on the LAN. If it is not then maybe you need to delete the DNS
> entries and let them re-create themselves.
>
> On an *individual* machine the DNS lookups are cached for about 30
> minutes,...so even if it is correct on the DNS Server, the client may not
> be aware of the change. In this context the client is the one making the
> connection,...not the one being connected to.
>
> Solution is to make sure the laptops always connect the same way every
> time on the LAN. Either always use wired or always use wireless. If you
> always use wired while on the LAN then change the SSID or the WPA key for
> the wireless so the Laptops quit using it and then have them remove the
> "wireless network" from their Prefered Networks. They can use wireless
> when they are traveling.
>
>
> --
> Phillip Windell
> www.wandtv.com
>
> The views expressed, are my own and not those of my employer, or
> Microsoft,
> or anyone else associated with me, including my cats.
> -----------------------------------------------------
>
> "Brad Pears" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Many of our company laptops have both a wired and wireless nic built in.
>> Both interfaces are used at different times - and the wireless is usually
>> disabled when the wires connection is being used. Each if the interfaces
>> is assigned an IP address by our DHCP server. The DNS Host A record for
>> the laptops changes from time to time as one time it will be the IP
>> address of the wireless interface and another time it will be the IP of
>> the wired interface.
>>
>> I have some software that I use and in there I'd like to address the
>> laptops by name - and have it work all teh time - no matter how the
>> laptop is currently connected. Currerntly, it doesn't always work -
>> becasue the IP being returned by DNS is the opposite of what the laptop
>> is actually using at that time.
>>
>> Is there a way to "bridge" (not sure if that is the correct lingo) the
>> two connections so that they both use the same ip address - or is this
>> not possible?
>>
>> Thanks, Brad.
>>
>
>

"Brad Pears" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> That's too bad...
>
> Unfortunately we have some areas here that are not serviced with ethernet
> cables and the laptop users use wireless when in those areas. Too much of
> a pain to put ethernet in too.
>
> I'll just have to live with the issues I am having.

My policy here is to never "share" things from workstaitons or
laptops,...then nothing has to connect "to" it,...therefore it doesn't
matter how the IP# resolves. All "sharing" is controlled by network admins
(not users) and the resources exist on the File Server. There are one or
two exceptions (mainly for sharing printers) and those are desktop machines
with one nic that never moves.

--
Phillip Windell
www.wandtv.com

The views expressed, are my own and not those of my employer, or Microsoft,
or anyone else associated with me, including my cats.
-----------------------------------------------------

Yep, I definately agree with never sharing anbything on a laptop unless
absolutely required in a one-off situation...

It's normally not an issue that the IP address changes... The only time it
really matters is when I use Shavlik Patch management, it will sometimes see
the wrong IP address because I am using the netbios name to access the
laptop. Since it's all automated, I usually don't notice there was an issue
with connecting to the laptop until the next day when I check the log... SO
I have to do it over again for the laptop(s) that failed - and use the IP
address instead... it's just a bit of a pain that's all...

Brad

"Phillip Windell" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> "Brad Pears" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> That's too bad...
>>
>> Unfortunately we have some areas here that are not serviced with ethernet
>> cables and the laptop users use wireless when in those areas. Too much of
>> a pain to put ethernet in too.
>>
>> I'll just have to live with the issues I am having.
>
> My policy here is to never "share" things from workstaitons or
> laptops,...then nothing has to connect "to" it,...therefore it doesn't
> matter how the IP# resolves. All "sharing" is controlled by network
> admins (not users) and the resources exist on the File Server. There are
> one or two exceptions (mainly for sharing printers) and those are desktop
> machines with one nic that never moves.
>
> --
> Phillip Windell
> www.wandtv.com
>
> The views expressed, are my own and not those of my employer, or
> Microsoft,
> or anyone else associated with me, including my cats.
> -----------------------------------------------------
>
>