How_To_Run_2_Seperate_Network_Cards_In_1_PC_?

Flourgrader

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Hi All,
I have a windows 10 PC running a network on:
SMB 1.0/cifs Client
SMB 1.0/cifs Server
I have to keep this option because of hardware connections!
Can any wise network guru person explain to me how I can run 2 separate networks from one PC?
This is my setup:
I have a 1 gigabit Router
Connecting to a Netgear ProSafe 8 Port Gigabit Switch
Model:GS108
With 8 PCs connected to the switch
All is working well for internal LAN and internet access.
What I want to do is:
Put one of these networking cards into my current PC:
10-Gigabit ASUS XG-C100C PCI-E Network Interface Card
PCI-E network Adaptor RJ45 connection.
And another one of these NICs in another PC
and buy a Netgear 10-Gigabit unmanaged Switch and
Connect my PC to the switch and the other PC to the switch.
So, when I am transferring huge amounts of date, I can use the 10 gig connection
And the rest of the time when I am transferring date to other PCs on the network it will use the 1 gig connection and same for when going on the internet.
I would like to Map a network drive for the 10 gig NIC
So, the 10 gig NIC would be used and not the 1 gig NIC.
I don’t know how to set this up?
If you are reading this and know the answer would you keep it simple in your explanation as I only have a basic understanding how networks work.
That is why I am here asking the question?
Thank You.
 
I think it's pretty much as you say -

Install additional NIC's into the the endstations (first check that they are capable of supporting multiple NIC's both in hardware and OS terms.)
Cable the NIC's together - if there's literally only two endstations, then you may be able to connect them directly without an intervening switch. If not, (or a direct link doesn't work,) then you need a 10-Gig switch.

Then you need to bind up IP addressing on the 2nd NIC's using a different IP subnet range. You could use something from the 192.168.X.Y address space that differs from your "main" network, but if you use (say) a 172.16.0.X address space, it'll make it that bit more "obvious" which NIC/Network you are using when, especially if you are having to debug any issues. You will have to statically assign the IP addresses as your second network won't have a DHCP Server on it to do it automatically. So give the stations something like 172.16.0.1/255.255.255.0 and 172.16.0.2/255.255.255.0 - they won't need, (indeed, shouldn't have,) a "default gateway," or any DNS Servers on the second NIC's.

It's ages since I've done anything like this, so there may be some work required to ensure any network "shares" are published onto the second NIC's or it may happen automatically. And, if they are Windows boxes, there may be some changes to personal firewall required to admit traffic.

Then map some drives as appropriate, but establish the mappings by IP addresses and not names and the traffic should get routed out of the appropriate NIC. If you don't use drive handles, it may be that a Windows client will use the faster NIC automatically as it will probably favour it in it's routing table (generally in Windows, when they have alternate routes available, the faster one gets given the higher preference in the routing table.)

Unless I've missed anything obvious, I don't think it's anything more complicated than this, though it's ages since I've done such and I don't have the facilities to test it at hand.

(If ever you want to look at the routing table in a Windows PC, open up a CMD windows and issue a "route print" command - though it can be a bit of a mission interpreting the results.)
 
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As mentioned above you don't actually need a 10Gb switch if its just two devices, you can connect them directly with a normal Cat6A patch cable up to 100m apart.

You can use 10.0.0.x subnet range to create a new 10Gb network, give it a IP address and subnet mask but no gateway. When when you do your drive mapping use IP address instead of host name to ensure it uses the 10Gb NIC. You mentioned CIFS so I assume both PC are windows. You can use drive letters, its fine Windows works out the bindings and will direct the traffic to the right NIC.
 
Hi, jimscreechy
upvote?
An explanation of what it is,
and in how/where to do it would have been helpful!
I did say thanks to the guys for their help!
Cheers.
 
There is a little blue thumbs up icon/button in the bottom right hand corner of each post... just to the left of +Quote and Reply.

You can just click it for the default 'thumbs up' but if you hover over it additional options appear for you to express you appreciation of the help you have been given (an upvote) which determines your feedback score... Actually there there is an unhappy icon/emoji but I've never seen it used nor do I know how it applies to the feedback score tally.

Anyway, there are certain landmarks achieved with the accumulation of these which help to define your status & helpfulness. I find it quite useful for identifying knowledgeable members.

There is a FAQ, help page or some such on it somewhere but I can never find it when I look and only seem to happen on it by accident.

I think your current score is zero, so here's a free one from me.
 

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