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Re: [LUG] OT: Windows XP Laptops

 

On Tuesday 11 July 2006 18:37, Mark Evans wrote:
> I'd like to be able to configure Windows laptops so that the wireless
> interface is switched on only when there is no ethernet connection.
> Whilst Windows has the ability to switch network interfaces on and
> off purely by software and has "media sense" to detect if a network
> cable is connected there appears to be no obvious way to have the latter
> control the former.

You really don't want to disable the wireless link every time you plug your 
ethernet in, unless you want to break all established TCP connections (and 
probably all UDP ones too (unless you use the same IP address on both links - 
which is not advised due to ARP issues).

That would mean your IM, mail, and ssh clients, along with any downloads going 
on would break and need to be re-established.  a pain in the arse.

Instead, what you want to do is adjust the default route to be used - or to be 
exact, the "metric" for the default route on the interfaces.

IP is not like electricity - it doesn't just "work" when plugged in.  although 
obviously it should ... and technically, could.  it just doesn't, yet.

> With OSS this sort of thing would be fairly easy, but since Windows is
> proprietary I wouldn't even know where to start.

Same as you would with doing it in linux - google?  In this case, "windows 
metric" and hit "i'm feeling lucky".

linux does not by default assign metrics to routes based upon their speed for 
that interface.  So MS get extra brownie points for this.

:)

 ~ Theo

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