Windows

Each NIC absolutely needs it's own network (IP) address. They can be on the same network/subnet, but I don't see how you can manage different types of traffic on each NIC.

If the services with which you want to communicate are on different subnets, then your task is easier. And obviously the address of each NIC is necessarily different and traffic management is made simpler.

You have to give each NIC an IP address but each will have to be on a separate subnets because the computer name will be the same to each NIC and the machine will see a duplicate name on the network and will shutdown one or both interfaces. Obviously your specific applications will have to address both or either subnet to be able to communicate ( you can add multiple IP,s\subnets to the server NIC using the advanced button on the TCP\IP properties dialog)

It is not possible to have same IP address to both NIC's. You have to assign different IP addresses to each NIC and it has to be in different subnets. Multihome computers needs to have its own IP addresses.

If talking about TCP/ip protocol, you MUST set a different ip address for each ni card, (or different subnets, one for each nic)
The only way (i know) to deliver packets from one nic and not by the other, is by ip address, port or subnet.
The cardin the same subnet as the server, will be only use to logon to the server and access all computers on that network, and the other card will access all computers on the other network. No matter if both nic cards are connected to the same hub, the subnets will be isolated, due to the fact that they belong to different scopes.
In order to "Talk" between the 2 networks , you must set up a router or "enable ip forwarding " under tcp ip properties.


Hope it helps!

I never had any experience with the different NIC brand to form the Load Balancing, Fault Tolerant or FastEther Channel.

I am using 2 Intel NICs, same model e.g. Pro10/100 NICs plus drivers/software provided by Intel installed and setup the Team Adapter.