wifi and wired on notebook

[andrew.powell-eds]

We have a CISCO wireless access point connected to our wired network.
I keep getting asked what happens both the Local Area Connection and
Wireless Network Connection are enabled. What does happen? Which one
is connected? Are they both connected? Does one override the other?

Thx.

 

[Frazer Jolly Goodfellow]

(e-mail address removed) wrote in

We have a CISCO wireless access point connected to our wired
network. I keep getting asked what happens both the Local Area
Connection and Wireless Network Connection are enabled. What
does happen? Which one is connected? Are they both connected?
Does one override the other?

If available, both connections will be made. Each connection has a
'metric' assigned to it that is used by the IP stack to decide which
is best to use at any point in time. Sophisticated routing algorithms
can base route metrics on multiple factors e.g. Path length,
Reliability, Delay, Bandwidth, Load, Communication cost.

In my home network, wired is always preferred over wireless, which is
fine - so I've never investigated how that decision was made. [it
ain't broke... ]

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

(e-mail address removed) wrote in

We have a CISCO wireless access point connected to our wired
network. I keep getting asked what happens both the Local Area
Connection and Wireless Network Connection are enabled. What
does happen? Which one is connected? Are they both connected?
Does one override the other?

If available, both connections will be made. Each connection has a
'metric' assigned to it that is used by the IP stack to decide which
is best to use at any point in time. Sophisticated routing algorithms
can base route metrics on multiple factors e.g. Path length,
Reliability, Delay, Bandwidth, Load, Communication cost.

In my home network, wired is always preferred over wireless, which is
fine - so I've never investigated how that decision was made. [it
ain't broke... ]

That's right. The decision is made based on the rated speed of the
network connection, as described here:

An explanation of the Automatic Metric feature for Internet Protocol
routes
http://support.microsoft.com/Default.aspx?id=299540

For that reason, Windows XP will always use a wired (Fast Ethernet)
connection in preference to a wireless (802.11b or 802.11g) connection
to the same network.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

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