2 network cards in windows xp pro 1

[lobsterman5197]

I have 2 nics in an XP pro box. One is connected to a proprietary network. The other is a network with internet access. The proprietary network uses a web based application (No Internet). I can at any time access either the proprietary web based application or the internet. I can also access the Internet but not the Proprietary application. At all times I can ping the internet or the computers on the private network. Routing is enabled on the computer and also dead gateway forwarding. Both sides have static IP addresses that are not even close. The IP addresses are correct for either side.

 

[countrypaul]

Do you have any kind of proxy server setup?
I have used the same type of configuration with XP in the past without problems - unless there was a proxy server on the internet side.

Paul

 

[lobsterman5197]

No there is no Proxy Server. the windows Fire Wall is off and also the IEEE Authentication

 

[countrypaul]

Not knowing anything about your proprietary application, there is one possible explanation I can think of. I don't know if this fits all your symptoms though: The order of the network adapters presented to an application by winsock is not defined. This means if an application needs to run on a particular ip address (and hence network card) it needs to iterate though the addresses to ensure it is working on the correct one. Whilst IE appears to do this and seems able to work on multi homed machines, I have met applcations that assume there is only one ip address (one network card) and always use the first one it is given. The solution is to modify the application to check all the ip addresses given. Normally at least two ip addresses are given the second being the localhost.

Does this appear to fit your scenario?

Paul

 

[lobsterman5197]

The application is a web page on the secure network. It opens correctly if opened first. When you reboot the computer and start IE6 to brows the web that also works. I then cannot open the web based application until after another reboot.
Summery is that whatever I open first web or app that is the one that works until a reboot than I can open the other first for that to work.

 

[LtLeary]

Did you try turning off routing? It seems to me that your IP address to the "web app" is sometimes being sourced from your "Internet Nic" and sometimes from your "Private NIC" If from your "intenet NIC" the Private Network App wouldn't know how to get back to you unless it new of a route to that network. (Your PC knows about both networks and how to get to both but the Private Network APP most likely does NOT (or is trying to get to it via another router!)

I would try turning off the routing and then setting the route metric on your Private Network to 1 and Internet to 2. This should help source your app more toward the private address. Also, just validate your subnet masks are correct on both sides. Mismatches here can also cause some of the "intermittent" issues you are experiencing.

Route PRint should help alot in seeing how the routing is actually performing and without the dynamic updates occuring, you should experience a more stable app.

Best of Luck
Lt