Dual Gigabit motherboard, can I use both connections at the same time?

I have a dual Gigabit capable motherboard and always wondered if I could use 2 different connections at the same time.

Lets say I have Comcast and AT&T internet for example and I connect each one into the 2 Gigabit ports. How does my motherboard know which one to use? Will it always choose the faster one? And what if Comcast was down one night, will it switch and use the AT&T connection?

It is not the motherboard that chooses - it is the operating system that picks. Usually, the faster connection is selected, but in your case, the adapters are the same speed - so it would probably pick the one that is listed in the registry first.

You can run more than one operating system at the same time by using virtual machines. You can assign the network adapter that is not being used by the host OS to the guest (virtual) OS... so you could make use of both connections at the same time.

...and then there is ICS.

0pTicaL said:

I have a dual Gigabit capable motherboard and always wondered if I could use 2 different connections at the same time.

Lets say I have Comcast and AT&T internet for example and I connect each one into the 2 Gigabit ports. How does my motherboard know which one to use? Will it always choose the faster one? And what if Comcast was down one night, will it switch and use the AT&T connection?

Those extra Gigabit adaptors are made for something called "Teaming" which isn't the same as having two network connections. You need special software for the teaming feature to work. It was only meant to increase bandwidth but the idea never really caught on.

chev65 said:

Those extra Gigabit adaptors are made for something called "Teaming" which isn't the same as having two network connections. You need special software for the teaming feature to work. It was only meant to increase bandwidth but the idea never really caught on.

I have a overseas client and he's in a area with very unreliable internet. He asked if there was a way to connection all his ISPs to his computer and have the OS or 3rd party software switch connection when one or more connections fail.

I'm guessing I should start searching for said software?

0pTicaL said:

chev65 said:

Those extra Gigabit adaptors are made for something called "Teaming" which isn't the same as having two network connections. You need special software for the teaming feature to work. It was only meant to increase bandwidth but the idea never really caught on.

I have a overseas client and he's in a area with very unreliable internet. He asked if there was a way to connection all his ISPs to his computer and have the OS or 3rd party software switch connection when one or more connections fail.

I'm guessing I should start searching for said software?

That is more likely to work I'd say, but I'm not familiar with such software although it's probably out there somewhere.