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How to set selective use of two gateways.

Discussion in 'Networking (Hardware & Software)' started by WindsorFox, 2006/10/11.

  1. 2006/10/11
    WindsorFox

    WindsorFox Inactive Thread Starter

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    Okay I have one machine with a GB wired connection and a wireless connection. The two obviously have different IPs and different gateways. Is it possible to cause IE and/or Firefox to use a specific connection? In other words, I have a number of apps running at any given time that will use a connection for whatever. Everything defaults to the faster wired connection. I would like to set Firefox (possibly in proxy settings?) so that it defaults to the wireless connection. I am wondering of maybe a FF extension to do this perhapse. This may be better suited to post in the Mozilla section, I wasn't sure which would be best but didn't want to double post.
     
    WindsorFox,
    #1
  2. 2006/10/12
    ReggieB

    ReggieB Inactive Alumni

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    I don't think you can define routes at the application level easily with an out of the box operating system. If the application you wish to use the gigabit connection for are running on the local or a private network you may be able to use routing to achieve the desired result:

    Gigabit connection: Do not define a default router. If the applications are on the same subnet as the gigabit connection, then this should be enough. However, if they are on remote private networks, create static routes to these networks using the gigabit network's router as the gateway and define the gigabit NIC as the interface for this route.

    Wireless connection: define a default route.

    With this set up, all your local high bandwidth traffic will go via the gigabit link, everything else will go via the wireless link, including internet traffic.

    Type route at a command prompt to get information on setting up static routes on a PC. Note that you need to define them as persistent if they are to remain in place after a reboot (-p in XP)
     
    ReggieB,
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  4. 2006/10/12
    WindsorFox

    WindsorFox Inactive Thread Starter

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    Thanks for the info. I was hoping to not get that complicated. I'll try it and see what I get. What I'd really like is to make Firefox use one or the other connection. Perhaps I should throw this idea out in the forums ad Mozdev :p
     
    WindsorFox,
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  5. 2006/10/16
    ReggieB

    ReggieB Inactive Alumni

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    It might be worth a trawl through the Firefox extensions library. Perhaps someone has thought the same as you and developed a suitable extension.
     
    ReggieB,
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  6. 2006/10/16
    WindsorFox

    WindsorFox Inactive Thread Starter

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    Yes, that is what I was really hoping for :p
     
    WindsorFox,
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  7. 2006/10/18
    TonyT

    TonyT SuperGeek Staff

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    One option would be to install a proxy server and bind it to a specific network adapter. Then config the browser to use that proxy server. The downside is "all of the reasons not to use a proxy server! ".

    Really, what would be needed to do what you want in Windows would be a driver that works at the network level, sort of "an intermediary" between applications and networking. Software firewalls operate this way, they use a driver & service that "sits between" applications and the network to control things. A Firefox estension could not do this.

    Another possibility would be something like Virtual PC or another emulator package. These applcations setup "virtual device drivers ", so you would end up with 4 network adapters total.. Too many reasons exist not to do this!

    So...the question now is this: What reasons do you have for wanting to have firefox use only the wifi? Even if use 2 gateways, you likely have only one Internet connection in use. Thus, even if split up which apps use what gateway, the bandwidth is always limited by the isp rates and there will be no noticable difference in net performance by regulating routes & gateways. If have 2 separate Internet accounts, 2 separate net connections, then what you want to do *could* be advantageous, but only if the background apps you mentioned are real bandwidth intensive.
     
    Last edited: 2006/10/18
    TonyT,
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