2 network cards connecting simultaneously to LAN

[maesus]

This is some experimentation to try out. I have 2 network cards, connect simultaneously to a LAN, through a hub. The objective of this setting is to gain more throughput and performance using 2 network cards.

My operating system is Windows 2000 Professional, which unfortunately does not have WLBS Windows Load Balancing Services as WinNT4 Server has. WLBS is supposed to balance up both network card's load to increase the networking performance. Thus, it turns out that only one network card (assigned with the lower IP, eg 10.100.100.99, the other is 10.100.100.100, the 100.99 will be the one to take care the traffic), and the other network card remain idle most of the time, unless some PINGings appear somewhere else calling its IP.

Anyone ever experience this configuration before? Please tell me how you do it and the result.

Thank you.

 

[CTR]

First off, don't connect to a hub. Connect to a switch. Connecting 2 NICs to a hub is like trying to drive 2 cars to work at the same time. Sure you've got a backup, but you're causing your own traffic jam if you try to drive them both!

When I've configured a server or workstation with multiple NIC's to the same LAN, I usually perform the load balancing or failover at the driver level. Like Adapter Teaming with Intel NIC's. What kind of NIC's do you have?

 

[spidey07]

Agree with CTR.

The best way to accomplish your goal of higher thruput is with some kind of layer2 mechanism. This involves driver intelligence and a NIC that supports it. (i'd keep the OS out of it)

Intel dual port NICs work fabulously.
Sun quad or dual 1000base-X work fabulously.

I'd drop the OS method and go for drivers, the two solutions above.......well......they work fabulously. A network engineer's answer to most of the problems that I've experienced ever since switched networking came about.

 

[CTR]

And it's SCALABLE. Just had to throw that in.

 

[maesus]

My network cards are:

1. 3Com 3C920 Integrated Fast Ethernet Controller (3C905C-TX compatible) - built-on-motherboard
2. Realtek RTL8029(AS) PCI Ethernet Adapter

First card is 10/100 base, but 2nd card is only 10 base. Our network here is 10 Base Half-Duplex. And I am still connecting using a hub

This is why I am looking for OS provided solution. As for driver solution, I don't think it would be much help.

About the Intel dual-port NICs, is it a two-port on one-card solution? Can you guys tell me more?

Thanks.

 

[spidey07]

There is really nothing you can do since your network runs on hubs.

The intel cards have two 10/100 ethernet ports per card. There are many different ways to "team" the nics or you can simply treat them like two separate NICs.

I guess if you really wanted to you could set an Intel nic for "fault tolerance teaming" This way one nic would start up automatically if the other lost link. No added performance though. Connect one port to one hub and another port to another hub. That way if you lost a hub your server would still have connectivity.

 

[maesus]

<< There is really nothing you can do since your network runs on hubs. >>




alright... assuming I'm connecting 2 NICs to a switch, then what should I do??

Thanks.

 

[xyyz]

then you do nothing...

the switch knows what's connected to what (at least on the data link layer).

so when you send information it wont flood every port of the switch, only the one your device is connected to... this way you free up the other port that your other nic is connected to which will allow you higher throughput

NOTE: if i'm wrong here... this is how i learned it... so please correct me before I waste alot of cash on my CCNA exam. :/

 

[spidey07]

I'll stand by the intel dual port NICs anyday. I don't think they cost more than a few hundred dollars.

The problem you describe used to happen a lot when 10 Base-T switching came around. All these switched connections running into a single 10 Base-T server link. 100 Base-T solved that real qucik, but now you sometimes have problems with so many 100 Base-T switched connections demanding bandwidth from a single 100 meg server connection.

The solution is to use a gigabit ethernet card or multiple 100 megabit links &quot;bonded&quot; together.

 

[xyyz]

because it's a workstaion product and not a server product.