Can I bridge to NIC in 2000?

[Jeff]

Can I bridge 2 network cards in W2K? I've done it in XP and it's pretty
simple but I can't find teh option in W2K.




Jeff

 

[Phillip Windell]

It doesn't exist in Win2k. It is a "new thing" in XP,...and in my opinion
it should have been left out,...it has almost no useful purpose other than
to confuse people as to why it exists and what it exists for. It
essentially just turns the machine into a 2-port Switch, which for the most
part, is pointless. Buy a cheap 4 port, or 8 port, (whatever) Hub or Switch
and you have accomplished the same thing without fouling up a perfectly good
PC.

 

[Jeff]

Don't hold back Phillip! :>) Thanks for the info/advice. I do have what
might be a ligitamate use for bridged networks. I have a wireless network
with several W2K machines using it. In my basement shop I have a W2K machine
on the wireless network AND I have an old laptop that I want to keep on the
bench to access files and do searches but it is NOT wireless capable. My
thought is to bridge the wireless network to a wired network in the shop to
allow the old laptop to serve a while longer. The other option of buying a
real bridge is way too costly.

Jeff

It doesn't exist in Win2k. It is a "new thing" in XP,...and in my opinion
it should have been left out,...it has almost no useful purpose other than
to confuse people as to why it exists and what it exists for. It
essentially just turns the machine into a 2-port Switch, which for the most
part, is pointless. Buy a cheap 4 port, or 8 port, (whatever) Hub or Switch
and you have accomplished the same thing without fouling up a perfectly good
PC.

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

Can I bridge 2 network cards in W2K? I've done it in XP and it's pretty
simple but I can't find teh option in W2K.




Jeff

 

[Phillip Windell]

Don't hold back Phillip! :>)

Ok, I'll try to "let go" a little. ;-)

bench to access files and do searches but it is NOT wireless capable. My
thought is to bridge the wireless network to a wired network in the shop to
allow the old laptop to serve a while longer. The other option of buying a
real bridge is way too costly.

Yes, I could see that being one use, but you can't do it with Win2000. You
will just have to buy a wireless NIC for the laptop or run cabling so that
the laptop can plug into the Broadband Device. Even Wireless Broadband
Devices typically have a few "wired" ports on them to be able to handle any
leftover non-wireless devices you might have around. All of the WRT55AG's I
have here have 4 "wired ports" on them to cover for the non-wireless
devices.

I think the easiest is to just buy a wireless nic for the laptop. It can
always be kept and used in something else once the laptop has out-lived its
usefullness.

 

[Guest]

ICS has nothing to do with turning a pc into a hub. It has to do with
setting it up as a simple router. It is an excellent solution for those with
less money that can't afford a router but have two pcs.

You can't use a switch or hub with only one isp supplied ip address which is
why you need a router that can do NAT.

In 2000/2003 you use RRAS to configure routing between two nics. More info
on the web/ms site.

If someone is going to vent they should at least do it knowledgeably.

 

[Phillip Windell]

Who said anything about ICS?

He was asking about "bridging nics" between a wired vs wireless segments of
a home LAN. The Internet wasn't even in the coversation.

Who's "venting"? Did you perhaps reply to the wrong post?