W7 - Onboard NIC disallows USB Wifi adapter to work simultaneously?

G00k · 28 Mar 2011

This question is similar to "no network access on 2nd nic" by drowe, buy since it is old, the post suggested asking in a new thread.

I have an HP W7 (Home Premium) PC.

I have a wired connection (on-systemboard network interface) to a Belkin 54g router, but the router is not physically connected to the internet (no ethernet cable out to a cable modem/whatever). The router connects several necessary peripherals - mostly wirelessly to the main PC and another W7 PC.) All this stuff worked prior to a move to a new location.

There is freely accessible Wifi in range (public library - wherein I could concievably carry the whole PC and use their WiFi with their blessing). << NOTE: My wife and I are members of the library. There is no requirement to be within the library when using their hotspot. I can provide a link to the terms and conditions, and acceptable use policy pages. This is not the thrust of this post. >>

I attached a USB Wifi adapter to the PC to avail myself of the free service, but W7 will not allow the Wifi adapter to be seen until I detach the ethernet wire. Then it will allow me to see the available network, and connect.

How does W7 (or the system board) look at network? Are they (onboard NIC and USB) mutually exclusive? Do I need a separate ethernet adapter card or a separate USB adapter card to create a different "channel" that would allow the two networks to coexist?

Thanks for your help.

G00k · 04 Apr 2011

Friends and Fellow Geeks,

Thank you for the responses and suggestions.

I find that struggling to frame a question that won't take you and me down long side paths and clarifications, actually helps order my thought processes in thinking about solving the problem. Other times, it reminds me of how much there is to know out there, and without good technical support (that's you folks!), I would be adrift at sea. Then someone smacks me on the head with an oar, and and says, Snap Out Of It!, and I proceed to the solution.

Ultimately, the solution for me included running an ethernet cable from the non-internet-connected router to the second PC, setting up static IP's for that network, killing the gateway and dns for them, and letting the wireless usb adapters do their thing for the wifi internet access.

The brain-fart had been that I was trying to force two networks on one adapter on the second PC - what was I thinking? Some times I need that smack upside the head.

Thanks again.

G00k

W7 - Onboard NIC disallows USB Wifi adapter to work simultaneously?

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