Wired & wireless IPs clogging firewall

[pkirill]

We have 10 laptops on our 45 computer network. Each has a docking station (IP address #1) and a mini-pci wireless card (IP address #2). When the users are logged in, both connections are active. Our firewall allows up to 50 connections. So with the laptops active, we get pushed over the limit on our firewall and internet connections are dropped or blocked.

Is there any way around this? Is that what "bridging" is for?

We currently run a windows 2003 server network and have a little Netgear WGR614 router/switch serving up wireless for the laptops. (A router was not the best option, I found out. It now acts as DHCP server for wireless connections...)

 

[wooglin]

Do the laptops not have a simple switch for turning off the wireless? Tell them it's a security issue - when they're connected by wire, they have to turn off their wireless.