More than one wireless adaptor

[TechSupp]

Just a quick question (I hope!), I have a head who requires wireless access at school and at home. Schhol requires a specific IP address but he uses DHCP at home so has a problem accessing both without altering the IP fields each time to swap. Could he just get a USB wireless adaptor so he can access it at home with DHCP but leave his inbuilt wireless settings alone for connection at school. Would have tried this but not got an adaptor spare to try. Sure someone would have come accross this situation before so I am open to any other suggestions (but I am not going to change the school settings to DHCP as this is set by the admin as he is logging on to the admin network and that is not maintained by me)

[Jon]

Could you not just leave his existing adaptor on DCHP and set up a reservation for it on the DHCP server? that way he will still get the same IP address every time in school.

[TechSupp]

Could do, but that would require getting involved in looking at his home internet router etc. and that would start down that long road of home support which I don't want to go down .

That soulution would have probably worked though.

[mac_shinobi]

you could either use a hardware profile ( which was what I did when I was at the kingswood school for staff laptops ) doesn't always work but is worth a shot.

 

One hardware profile called home and one called work and make the work or home one default ( up to yourself which one is default )

 

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308577

 

That or you can do the following :

 

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_can_you_assign_two_IP_addresses_to_one_network_card

 

'''Windows XP''' * Control Panel -> Network Connections -> Local Area Connection -> Properties -> Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) * Type in a static ip address * Then click Advanced * Under the "Ip address" group box, click add to add more ip addresses.

 

You would need to do this in the case where you need to connect to more then one different subnet where proper routing has not been set up.

 

Not sure but I think you can do a similiar thing on windows xp by clicking a secondary tab uunder tcp/ip settings where you can add a static ip addy and just have the main settings as dhcp. ( aka an alternate configuration as per below )

 

http://www.windowsitpro.com/Article/ArticleID/27129/27129.html

Edited January 15, 2008 by gecko

[SYNACK]

So long as he uses DHCP at home you should not need to look at his setup if the wireless card is set to use DHCP. The reservation on the school DHCP server would probably be the way to go.

 

You could also try the "alternate configuration" tab under TCP/IP properties if your school wireless does not use DHCP. This should only apply the fixed IP address if it cannot get one through DHCP.

[Jon]

Could do, but that would require getting involved in looking at his home internet router etc. and that would start down that long road of home support which I don't want to go down .

That soulution would have probably worked though.

 

If he is already using DHCP at home that will not change, he will at home get an address from his router as normal you will not have to get involved there at all.

 

If you set up a reservation for his adaptor on your school DHCP server he will always get that address when in school.

[mac_shinobi]

If he is already using DHCP at home that will not change, he will at home get an address from his router as normal you will not have to get involved there at all.

 

If you set up a reservation for his adaptor on your school DHCP server he will always get that address when in school.

 

agree with the dhcp reservation - forgot about that doh !

[TechSupp]

In the end I used the following:

 

Export your current IP settings to a text file. Use the following command:

 

netsh -c interface dump > c:\MySettings.txt

 

Import your IP settings and change them, just enter the following command in a Command Prompt window (CMD.EXE):

 

netsh -f c:\MyAnotherSettings.txt

 

Set up two files, one with school settings, one for home with DHCP and now he just has two new icons on the desktop and selects one depending on which location he is at...sorted :D

 

Thanks for all your suggestions.