connecting to more the one network router

systemcrash · 03. Feb 2012, 06:20 PM

Im trying to find out if i can connect my laptop to 2 routers at once, my laptop has 2 network adapters a wired Ethernet adapter and a wireless internet adapter, is it possible to connect my laptop wired to my router and wireless to my neighbors router?

It wont be illegal im not hacking into there router or stealing there access key. In the UK BT telecom allow access to there internet on someone elses router to provide a internet anywhere experience. Its called BT openzone when connected all you have to do is log in to access the internet. So i d like to use my normal internet connection wired and Bt openzone on wireless. is there a way on windows 7 to connect to both at once.

Would this improve my downloading speed or browsing speed? or is it simply not possible ir not a good idea?

Remah · 03. Feb 2012, 10:26 PM

In Windows you can't have two Internet connections as Windows can only have one Internet gateway. You can connect to two networks but only one can have an Internet gateway. I'm not sure what happens on other operating systems.

Read on if you want to know more:

Connecting to two different networks means your wireless and Ethernet adapters need to be configured on two different subnets. This is a type of multi-homing with 'Multiple Interfaces, Single IP address per interface'.
Note that Windows will allow you to multi-home (to improve reliability) with two Internet addresses over one link, ie 'Single Link, Multiple IP address'. You can add another IP address under Control Panel > Network > TCP/IP Properties > Advanced > Advanced IP Addressing.

If you want to keep the wireless connection when the cable is connected. http://techrena.net/view-change-netw...der-windows-7/ tells you how to prioritize wireless over wired so it doesn't drop the wireless connection. The usual situation is to have a laptop with wireless and Ethernet connections to the same router. When you connect the Ethernet cable Windows automatically chooses it over the wireless connection which is disabled. The same results occurs when you are connected to two different networks/routers.

Using a virtual machine (VM) would allow you to have two different Windows images. But it wouldn't allow you to have different Internet gateways specified for each. The problem is that the virtualization software will still have to use the available features of the network adapter in the host operating system so you could still only have one Internet gateway if Windows is the host OS.

J_L · 04. Feb 2012, 03:54 AM

It won't increase your internet speed. Windows will simply choose the faster one by default and use it for connections.

eyeb · 04. Feb 2012, 04:32 AM

The closest thing to 2 connections on a laptop i've done is connecting phone to laptop, using wifi on laptop and having phone on the cell network. This isn't tethering (at least not what I used it for).

I needed to be connected to my school network at time so I could access files but I also needed sites that school blocked (well "needed" as in social media lol). Anyways I got around the 2 connections by using a program that let laptop control phone so I could open it's browser as if it was on laptop. So I was essentially on 2 networks on a laptop, but not... For wifi I could do this with phone but I see no reason to. If wifi was faster, I would use laptop on the wifi, or tether laptop to cell phone for it's speed. I've also downloaded onto phone before so I wouldn't slow rest of home wifi down for everyone before out of consideration for them :S

03. Feb 2012, 06:20 PM	#1 (permalink)
systemcrash Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Milton Keynes Posts: 192	connecting to more the one network router Im trying to find out if i can connect my laptop to 2 routers at once, my laptop has 2 network adapters a wired Ethernet adapter and a wireless internet adapter, is it possible to connect my laptop wired to my router and wireless to my neighbors router? It wont be illegal im not hacking into there router or stealing there access key. In the UK BT telecom allow access to there internet on someone elses router to provide a internet anywhere experience. Its called BT openzone when connected all you have to do is log in to access the internet. So i d like to use my normal internet connection wired and Bt openzone on wireless. is there a way on windows 7 to connect to both at once. Would this improve my downloading speed or browsing speed? or is it simply not possible ir not a good idea? __________________ If it ain't broke don't fix it, improve it, break it then fix it

03. Feb 2012, 10:26 PM	#2 (permalink)
Remah Editor Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: New Zealand Posts: 505	In Windows you can't have two Internet connections as Windows can only have one Internet gateway. You can connect to two networks but only one can have an Internet gateway. I'm not sure what happens on other operating systems. Read on if you want to know more: Connecting to two different networks means your wireless and Ethernet adapters need to be configured on two different subnets. This is a type of multi-homing with 'Multiple Interfaces, Single IP address per interface'. Note that Windows will allow you to multi-home (to improve reliability) with two Internet addresses over one link, ie 'Single Link, Multiple IP address'. You can add another IP address under Control Panel > Network > TCP/IP Properties > Advanced > Advanced IP Addressing. If you want to keep the wireless connection when the cable is connected. http://techrena.net/view-change-netw...der-windows-7/ tells you how to prioritize wireless over wired so it doesn't drop the wireless connection. The usual situation is to have a laptop with wireless and Ethernet connections to the same router. When you connect the Ethernet cable Windows automatically chooses it over the wireless connection which is disabled. The same results occurs when you are connected to two different networks/routers. Using a virtual machine (VM) would allow you to have two different Windows images. But it wouldn't allow you to have different Internet gateways specified for each. The problem is that the virtualization software will still have to use the available features of the network adapter in the host operating system so you could still only have one Internet gateway if Windows is the host OS. __________________ Better to light a candle ... than to curse the darkness. Last edited by Remah; 03. Feb 2012 at 10:27 PM. Reason: Clarification

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

04. Feb 2012, 03:54 AM	#3 (permalink)
J_L Co-Author, Best Free Security List Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 1,475	It won't increase your internet speed. Windows will simply choose the faster one by default and use it for connections.

04. Feb 2012, 04:32 AM	#4 (permalink)
eyeb Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Planet X Posts: 487	The closest thing to 2 connections on a laptop i've done is connecting phone to laptop, using wifi on laptop and having phone on the cell network. This isn't tethering (at least not what I used it for). I needed to be connected to my school network at time so I could access files but I also needed sites that school blocked (well "needed" as in social media lol). Anyways I got around the 2 connections by using a program that let laptop control phone so I could open it's browser as if it was on laptop. So I was essentially on 2 networks on a laptop, but not... For wifi I could do this with phone but I see no reason to. If wifi was faster, I would use laptop on the wifi, or tether laptop to cell phone for it's speed. I've also downloaded onto phone before so I wouldn't slow rest of home wifi down for everyone before out of consideration for them :S