How do I tell WinXP which connection to use for the internet?

[Guest]

Hi,

I have a computer in the lab which connects to spectrometer using the
ethernet adapter on a static IP. (I didn't design the system, that's just
the way it is).

This same computer has a wireless card that connects to the wireless network
in said lab.

Now, how do I tell WinXP to use the wireless connection to go online, and
use the wired connection for the spectrometer?

Right now the PC assumes that the wired connection is the primary one so I
can connect to the equipment but not internet (a real PITA when you need to
access online databases).

The only way around so far is to disable the wired connection when we have
to go online, then re-enable when we run a sample.

Hoping you guys have a simple solution that does not require always
enable/disable.

Thanks

 

[Paul Knudsen]

he only way around so far is to disable the wired connection when we have
to go online, then re-enable when we run a sample.

That doesn't sound so terrible.

Hoping you guys have a simple solution that does not require always
enable/disable.

Dual Boot?

 

[John Wunderlich]

Hi,

I have a computer in the lab which connects to spectrometer using
the ethernet adapter on a static IP. (I didn't design the system,
that's just the way it is).

This same computer has a wireless card that connects to the
wireless network in said lab.

Now, how do I tell WinXP to use the wireless connection to go
online, and use the wired connection for the spectrometer?

Right now the PC assumes that the wired connection is the primary
one so I can connect to the equipment but not internet (a real
PITA when you need to access online databases).

The only way around so far is to disable the wired connection when
we have to go online, then re-enable when we run a sample.

Hoping you guys have a simple solution that does not require
always enable/disable.

Thanks

The key here is the "Default Gateway". If both your wired network
card and your wireless cards both specify default gateways, then the
wired one usually takes precidence. Since your wired connection is
used only for lab equipment, it really doesn't need a default gateway.
Try removing it if it's there and see if it helps.

The biggest help would to be to bring up a command window:
start->run->"cmd"
and enter the command:
route print
This will show you how packets are routed. An entry of "0.0.0.0" with
a netmask of "0.0.0.0" will be your default gateway. If there are more
than one line like this, then the one with the smallest number in the
"Metric" column will be used. By default, wired connections are
preferred (smaller metric) over wireless. You can change this priority
by changing the number in the "metric" column using the:
route change
command to make the gateway on your wireless network the preferred
gateway.

HTH,
John