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I have this thing that keeps bugging me...

One of my PCs, HTPC, is connected to the router via both WiFi and a cable. It works fine and it somehow even knows the network name for the Ethernet connection, Minas Tirith (usually it's only for WiFi connections). Maybe I renamed it in regedit at some point, don't remember. And in the network centre it understands that both are connected to the same rounter and shows it as such:

HTPC

ipconfig /all of HTPC

My other PC, M18X, is also connected to the same router via WiFi and a cable. however, it treats the connections as separate. Why is that? And how can I merge them?

M18X

ipconfig /all of M18X

Note that I've renamed the network from Network 8, which it was previously, to Minas Tirith in regedit.

Also here's what my router sees (Technicolor model):

Router

Note that for some reason it doesn't see the Ethernet connection from M18X even though the PC gets internet access even if I turn off WiFi. I've restarted the devices several times.

Also both PCs are on the same homegroup.

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  • Run ipconfig /all on each of the 2 PCs and post the results
    – Argonauts
    Sep 9, 2016 at 23:37
  • Are they on the same home group?
    – user2924019
    Sep 12, 2016 at 12:54
  • @Argonauts Edited the question with links to ipconfig.
    – Edgar
    Sep 12, 2016 at 18:59
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    For M18X, the ethernet connection isn't on the same IP network as is the WiFi.
    – Doezer
    Sep 15, 2016 at 15:19
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    Doezer's answer may be the answer. The other possibility is that the DNS suffix may be set (deep in the adapter properties, IPv4 properties, advanced tab(?), DNS) on one but not the other. Also if one is DHCP, it may be getting a different DNS suffix.
    – Jeter-work
    Sep 15, 2016 at 22:26

3 Answers 3

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On M18X machine, both NICs have different IPs. Since both are dynamically set, it means there are two networks with each his own DHCP server : 78.84.160.1 and 192.168.1.1. You might have more insight on this? What is at 78.84.160.1? What is apollo.lv ?

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  • 192.168.. is the router itself. But 78.84.. is somewhere outside. I think it's the ISP's DHSCP server. apollo.lv is another name for the ISP, I think. That's why I thought it may be the port I'm using with the PC is supposed to be used for a TV box or a phone.
    – Edgar
    Sep 21, 2016 at 11:13
  • This could be it. You're in Latvia right? We had that in France a few years ago with the first all-in-one boxes (now it's a way better system). You had to manually deactivate the TV categorization to use the port for something else. You should try to see if there's a setting of the sort in the router GUI. You can also try your ISP to see if there's a FAQ or an assistance page which explains how to do that.
    – Doezer
    Sep 21, 2016 at 12:02
  • 192.168.x.x addresses are reserved, private IP addresses. Unroutable. 78..x.x.x is a public internet address. In this case, it is probably the external interface of the modem, i.e. the external address. The modem may be an integral part of your router, they often are. The external address is assigned by the ISP, typically via DHCP. The other address is assigned by the DHCP service in the router, and is not routable. So how do you get responses back from websites and such? NAT routing. The gateway for the 192.168.x.x network is most likely the 78.x.x.x address.
    – Jeter-work
    Sep 22, 2016 at 0:11
  • Oh, and the solution is to modify the config on the router to reserve an IP for the Ethernet connection. Some DHCP servers let you create reservations so that any connection with a given mac address gets a specified address. Others you can remove an address from the range available in DHCP and then statically assign it (manually) to the Ethernet adapter. The DHCP service on most routers fall into the second category.
    – Jeter-work
    Sep 22, 2016 at 0:14
  • Yes, I confirmed that only port 1, the port HTPC was connected to, was intended for Ethernet. Ports 2 and 3 were for TV boxes. Port 4 for don't know what. And it's not possible to change that in the router software.
    – Edgar
    Sep 23, 2016 at 15:00
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My first thought is that somewhere in your wireless connections history it sees another instance of Minas Tirith. I would try going into your "Manage Wireless Connections" and delete any refrence to Minas Tirith and then reconnect your wireless from scratch. If it is adding a 2 to the end of your connection it is because has already connected to a Minas Tirith before that it thinks is different.

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  • Yeah I'm not bothered about the 2. The thing is one of the PCs understands that both adapters are connected to the same router, but the other doesn't.
    – Edgar
    Sep 12, 2016 at 18:55
  • What i meant was that it probably thinks that the current Ethernet connection and the Minas Tirith wifi are the same but it thinks you are connected to a completely different wap with Minas Tirith as the name and that is why it added the 2. I realize you dont care about the number, all i was suggesting is that it was a hint as to what was going on.
    – thesoundman20
    Sep 12, 2016 at 19:27
  • I started comparing the ipconfigs and on the PC that sees two networks there is a DNS suffix of "appollo.lv" for the Ethernet connection, whereas all adapters, including on the other PC have the suffix as "lan". I have no idea where either are configured. They're not manually set.
    – Edgar
    Sep 14, 2016 at 19:00
  • Can you post your ipconfig /all outputs from the terminal for both pcs?
    – thesoundman20
    Sep 15, 2016 at 16:02
  • There are links to ipconfigs in the question.
    – Edgar
    Sep 19, 2016 at 10:00
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It treats the connection as separate because it has different IP address. It sees the "Minas Tirith" network, because it knows the gateway. You can use static IP and gateway, if you want (I would recommend static for at least the Ethernet port in this set up) You can try this : https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc731695(v=ws.11).aspx

Load balancing means to automatically use the best bandwith of both connections at once. Better way would only be to set static routes in the router, but I don't know if you have that knowledge - unless you know what you're doing, don't touch static routes, this is my advice. good luck!...

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5
  • They're going to have different addresses, but they're on a separate IP network. (I can't verify this because pastebin is blocked at my work).
    – Jeter-work
    Sep 15, 2016 at 22:29
  • @Andrei I don't think your answer is correct. Also I don't have a Server, so NLB has nothing to do with the problem or solution.
    – Edgar
    Sep 19, 2016 at 9:56
  • @Xalorous Is probably right. They definitely have different addresses because they have to. But they're also on a different subnet and the gateway is different.
    – Edgar
    Sep 19, 2016 at 9:58
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    @Edgar They are on two different IP networks. The wording is important. 192.168.1.0/24 and 192.168.2.0/24 are two different subnets of 192.168.0.0/16. In other words, 'different subnets' implies that they have a common network at the 'class' level. "Different IP networks" is the accurate description, since one is class A public and the other class C, private. See wiki page for private network. Also, I've included "IP" in the statement to differentiate from 'separate physical networks' since you can host separate IP networks on the same wire.
    – Jeter-work
    Sep 22, 2016 at 0:24
  • My answer was not only right - but reading what the others wrote (and your added info via the ipconfig command - the easier way would still be to configure static IP for ethernet (within the same subnet as the wifi)). Also - my experience with Windows 10 is that it's usually disabling wifi whenever ethernet cable is plugged in and works. Lastly, but not the last, not only that you don't need a server to setup a network load balancing, but it's generally the best way to configure the network load to balance over your connections (Although, I personally prefer to set weight on the routes)
    – Andrei Caba
    Jun 28 at 12:02

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