Windows Forum

Ask something
Discussion Locked

install two NIC cards in one server

0 helpful
9 replies

by petrosi

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

How would I go about installing two NICs in one NT or W2K server. Each card will have a different IP address but have the same subnet mask. I would like to connect each NIC to a different switch allowing for redundancy and load balancing.

Or doI have to set the server up as a router?

9 replies

by ben low

From my understanding, you can use the industry standard server NIC from vendors such as 3Com, Intel, Compaq or Adaptec which has the features you are looking at this moment. By binding the two NICs into one IP address, you can achieve load balancing for the NICs. By connecting each NIC to different switch, you can achieve connection redundancy.

Hope this is helpful for you.

by mjholley

You can install two nic's just as easy as one. Install both NIC's and then goto the control panel then network then to adapters and add the adapters (NIC's) after NT has found both NIC's just configure the tcp/ip address as you would as a single NIC. I have a proxy server at home that has two nic's and the same subnet mask but one is set up for static IP the other is set up for DHCP.

by baziite

Yes you can add two adapters to one machine . the easiiest way to do this is to add each of them one by one . then edit their properties one by one and enter seperate IP addresses and same Subnet Mask . make sure TCP/IP and Client for microsoft networks are installed and are bound to both the NIC's . You can have different or same Default gateways for each NIC .

I hope this answers your querry .

Good Luck !!!

by jim4flyin

I agree with the other answers of just install the card and bind each nic to a different IP address. Also you probably want to enable ip fowarding in tcp/ip properties.

This discussion is closed to new replies.