Two NIC's causing me internet problems

[stu8080]

After tearing my hair out for a few weeks as to why the internet wont work on my HTPC, ive just had a Eureka moment (more like a Doh! moment really) and now at least know why things are not working.

Set up is as such: 2 PC's, one normal desktop, and my HTPC in the living room both connected to a broadband router. the HTPC has two NIC's though, one for internet through the router, the other to a switch for the MVP's so that MVP traffic and internet filesharing/online game playing doesent conflict. Make sense so far?

The problem was that the HTPC was trying to access the internet through the MVP NIC. If i turn off TCP/IP on the MVP NIC, the internet works, but it also disables file and printer sharing etc and the MVP wont connect?

Is there a way i can resolve this and keep the two NIC's or even a better way of setting this up that avoids this issue?

[navyguy]

Sounds like a routing problem. Quickest thing to check and the most likely culprit, make sure you did not define a default gateway on the MVP NIC or are not being assigned a default gateway on that card from your DHCP server. You should only have one default gateway and that should be on your Internet NIC.

[HtV]

There have been posts about this but I couldn't find them.
This what I remember:
The NIC that you use to connect the mvp's should be on a different sub-domain and I think is best given a fixed IP.
e.g. the nic + router are on 192.168.1.xxx, so the other nic would be on 192.168.2.1. Then you should install a dhcp-server that only serves ip's on that sub-domain, or only 'looks'' to that nic. I think a dhcp-server used a lot is: tftpd32.
I think this is how it's ~done, more or less.

[stu8080]

Ive got the two NIC's on different subdomains, 192.168.2.x for internet NIC and 192.168.4.x for MVP NIC.

Removing the default gateway worked and got me internet, but in the process somehow left the MVP NIC showing up as only 10MB/s and no packets being recieved. Reinstalling that device from device manager sorted that out and all is working well now. Thanks guys

[ryanmc]

i use 2 nics ones static with acrossover cable to mvp the other is to a router to cable modem.

[SuMo]

IMHO I think the bandwith issue you're concerned of is not such big deal, If I look at my network perfomance when playing video on the GBPVR box through my MVP the network usage doesn't exeed 5% (with a RDC session open) so why the 2 nics ? It would make your (MVP)life much easier.

[stu8080]

Ive got it sorted now... a bit of trial and error given the advice of the first few responces.

The reason i want to keep things separate is because i use bittorrent filesharing which could be downloading at 500-700Kb/s, and online gaming. I only have one MVP connected at the moment, but am installing ethernet through the house as i decorate and plan to have two or three MVP's eventually, and can imagine there would be confilcts eventually - the last thing i want is for something im doing on the main computer to cause the MVP's to stutter, and for the wife to quit using it because its unreliable - it would be a wasted effort and expense. Besides, i think it will make problem solving far easier, and i have the spare router doing nothing anyway, i might as well make use of it.

[SuMo]

Ahhhh, bittorents, muliple MVP's, gaming.......and not to forget the WAF .....it all makes sence now