How to set separate network connections for Home & Office

Here's the senerio: XP Pro laptop w/LAN from ISP @ home setup and connected. Bring laptop to work, LAN has to be reconfigured to Dynamic IP. (Type in all the #'s, ip,dns,gateway every time.)

Question: Isn't there a way to setup a 2nd LAN connection and not have to go into the properties of 1st LAN constantly to change from Dynamic IP to Obtain?

 

One small clarification to prevent confusion at some point. Dynamic settings are the ones done automically by something like DHCP. Static settings are the ones where you have to specify all the info.

With XP-pro it is easy enough to do what you want. Earlier OS versions and it was near impossible without a 3rd party app to do the deed.

Go into your network connection properties then into TCP/IP properties. Set it to either your home or your work configuration - doesn't matter which at this point. You will notice a tab named Alternate Configuration at the top. Click on it and set the values for the other place.

What basically happens is the PC boots up and looks for the network using the settings on the main page. If it finds them, it connects. If not, it tries with the Alternate Configuration values.

You'll need to play with this to figure out if it's faster with dynamic on the main page and static as the alternate or vice versa.

 

Thanks Newt! I will give this a try and post back if it does not work. I thought this would work, but I did not have the access to the home network configuration at the time. I should know more in the next few days. Until then.......

Thanks for the help!
Suzette
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