Setting Network Adapter Priority in XP

meatflower

EDIT 5/6/07: Bumping this thread from the dead because I've been forced to solve it and not just bypass it. I did everything suggested in this thread two months ago, none of it worked. I ended up just hooking up my xbox to the router and bypass the problem. I had to switch to a Ethernet over Powerline solution recently and that forced me to disconnect the Xbox to make room to connect the HomePNA device. Now I'm back to square one. Maybe there's somebody out there with a new solution to this problem.

Thanks

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Situation:

I have 2 NIC's, one is onboard and the other is an old Netgear PCI card. I use my xbox as a media center and stream stuff to it through a network share. It is hooked up to my PC with a crossover cable to the onboard NIC. The other NIC is hooked up to my router.

Problem:

If I have something streaming to the xbox when I try to open up Firefox or anything else that uses the internet, it doesn't work, as if I'm not connected. The moment I stop the streaming, firefox and other stuff works. If I'm using something that has a continuous connection type deal going on, say playing FFXI, and then I start streaming something it will continue to work. But if I quit out of it and try to start it again it won't be able to connect. My rudimentary understanding of this is that the program wanting to use the internet will latch on to a NIC with activity, which happens to be the one streaming stuff to the xbox. Of course that doesn't have any outside access so then it doesn't get anywhere. That's why if something is in use of the one connected to the router first, and then I start streaming stuff, it doesn't stop working (since it's not going to switch NIC's while running).

I had this problem before and I fixed it by going to the Network Connections area of Control Panel. Then I went to Advanced at the top, then Advanced Settings. There you can set the priority of network interface cards in a list and I would simply move the one connected to the router to the top, and the one connected to the xbox to the bottom.

Here's the thing, when I go there now there is only one item in the list "[Remote Access Connections]" so I can't set the priority of anything, they all seem to be lumped together.

Anyone know how to fix this or fix my overall problem?

Thanks.

meatflower

Anybody?

embrik

Check the MS KB article on this here. There's more there than I care to paraphrase, but they definitely cover your issue.
From the KB Summary about what's covered:
"If you click the Advanced menu and then click Advanced Settings, only the [Remote Access connections] entry appears in the Connections list."

On another note, if you have static routes that you want to set up (e.g. always use net adapter x for connection to IP y, use the DOS "route add" command. Just type "route" to get some examples.

Azio

I've been meaning to post a thread about this for ages.

embrik wrote: »

On another note, if you have static routes that you want to set up (e.g. always use net adapter x for connection to IP y, use the DOS "route add" command. Just type "route" to get some examples.

So, say I have a 360 with a manual static IP of 192.168.2.100 connected to my NIC with a manual static IP of 192.168.2.1, and I want to route all 360-related traffic through that NIC while everything else goes through the other one. Would I be correct in changing the priority so that the 360's NIC is at the bottom of the list, and then entering this command:

route -p add 192.168.2.100 mask 255.255.255.0 192.168.2.1

embrik

Azio wrote: »

I've been meaning to post a thread about this for ages.

embrik wrote: »

On another note, if you have static routes that you want to set up (e.g. always use net adapter x for connection to IP y, use the DOS "route add" command. Just type "route" to get some examples.

So, say I have a 360 with a manual static IP of 192.168.2.100 connected to my NIC with a manual static IP of 192.168.2.1, and I want to route all 360-related traffic through that NIC while everything else goes through the other one. Would I be correct in changing the priority so that the 360's NIC is at the bottom of the list, and then entering this command:

route -p add 192.168.2.100 mask 255.255.255.0 192.168.2.1

I think you should probably specify the interface to use as well, and include a metric of 1. So, it should look like the following:

route -p add 192.168.2.100 MASK 255.255.255.0 192.168.2.1 METRIC 1 IF 3

Of course, this assumes that it is indeed 1 hop to the 360 (which it should be, in your case). It also assumes that the NIC you're sending the traffic to is on interface # 3. If you do a "route print", the interface list will be at the top, so you know which one to use. If you have two identical cards, just look at the MAC address listed and compare it to an ipconfig /all. Note that the interfaces are generally listed as 0x2, 0x3, etc. Just use the last digit (2 or 3 in that case).

Also, in using a static route like this that specifies the interface to use, you probably don't need to mess with your NIC priorities, but it definitely won't hurt, and actually may help slightly.

Azio

I have 2 NICs.
NIC 1 (This one goes to the router, connection sharing turned on)
Physical Address: 00-01-29-D1-6B-1C
IP Address: 192.168.1.130 (manual)
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: 192.168.1.1 (manual)
DNS Server: 192.168.1.1 (manual)
WINS Server:

NIC 2 (Goes to Xbox 360)
Physical Address: 00-01-29-D1-5A-D1
IP Address: 192.168.0.1 (manual)
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway:
DNS Server:
WINS Server:

My Xbox 360 (manual) settings are
IP Address: 192.168.0.100
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 192.168.0.1

This is what I get in dos:

C:\route -p add 192.168.0.100 MASK 255.255.255.0 192.168.0.1 METRIC 1 IF 3
The route addition failed. The specified mask parameter is invalid. (Destination & Mask) != Destination.

WTF?

meatflower

The KB article did nothing for me, did all the steps and no change. I tried adding a route as described and it also did nothing.

Then I realized a much simpler solution, I recently relocated the router into this room so I just got a longer ethernet cord and plugged the xbox directly to the router.

Never thought I'd see the day where I used every port on my router (5 port's including the WAN).

Problem not solved but hey I'm watching a video through the xbox while posting this so I'm happy.

Thank you all for your efforts.

embrik

Azio wrote: »

This is what I get in dos:

C:\route -p add 192.168.0.100 MASK 255.255.255.0 192.168.0.1 METRIC 1 IF 3
The route addition failed. The specified mask parameter is invalid. (Destination & Mask) != Destination.

WTF?

Hmm... I can't remember if that mask command is different than a subnet mask. Try leaving it off once to see if it will add.

meatflower

Bump

Explained in OP

tsmvengy

Coming from way out in left field here, but do you need to bridge the connections?

If you still have the problem where there is only one thing (Remote Access Connections) listed under Network Connections? What is listed when you go to advanced settings? If this is the only thing listed, I would try uninstalling both NICs, then reinstalling them, then bridging.

meatflower

tsmvengy wrote: »

Coming from way out in left field here, but do you need to bridge the connections?

If you still have the problem where there is only one thing (Remote Access Connections) listed under Network Connections? What is listed when you go to advanced settings? If this is the only thing listed, I would try uninstalling both NICs, then reinstalling them, then bridging.

Wow, sometimes the simplest solutions are best. I didn't uninstall the adapters because I've done that many times before. Just selected them both, hit bridge, set the xbox to DHCP. Looks like internet is working here and stuff is streaming to the xbox at the same time.

Thank you!

edit: This can be locked now.