Using multiple wifi connections simultaneously on Windows

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My office PC has a one wireless network card and there are three available wifi connections: primary, backup and backup of a backup (grin).

Is it possible for me to use all three simultaneously. If this results in an increase in bandwidth that's well and good, but primary reason is every now and then one of the network fails and i have to switch back and forth between the available networks by disconnecting, viewing available networks and connecting to next one hoping its running. Do i need more than one network card or a software e.g. a proxy.

Salman A

Posted 2010-05-15T14:03:40.400

Reputation: 1 318

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It's not necessary to ask the same question on more than one site -http://serverfault.com/questions/142167/using-multiple-wifi-connections-simultaneously-on-windows. If the community thinks it will get a better response on the other site it will be migrated.

– ChrisF – 2010-05-15T14:07:20.863

I am really confused why you would have 3 wifi connections? Why not have 1 good one with many APs so that failure is not something that happens due to one AP going down? Sounds like you are getting weak signal etc which results in loss? Or are all 3 connections on different networks? – Jakub – 2010-12-02T13:52:38.660

Answers

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"Do i need more than one network card "

Yes. This is known as "load balancing".

To enable random adapter load balancing on Windows XP you need to make a registry change.

There's a short guide here;

System Key: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NetBT\Parameters]
Value Name: RandomAdapter
Data Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value)
Value Data: (0 = disabled, 1 = enabled)

For Windows7, see this question.

RJFalconer

Posted 2010-05-15T14:03:40.400

Reputation: 9 791

He said he only had one wireless adaptor. – paradroid – 2010-09-27T12:59:22.470

He also asked if he needed more. I should have made it clearer that the answer to that is definitely "yes". I will update my answer. – RJFalconer – 2010-09-27T19:35:59.983

Asked: 2010-05-15T14:03:40.400

Viewed: 3 014 times

Active: 2010-12-02T13:47:50.050