Multiple network interfaces on a single NIC in Windows

Here's the scenario:

Lets say we have a wireless network that imposes bandwidth limit on IP addresses(ie every IP address has limited bandwidth). To get around this, we can obtain several IP addresses from the access point, but the problem is that Windows by default uses the first IP address for all outbound connections.

I realized that on Windows platforms if we could introduce virtual interfaces on the wireless NIC (like interface aliasing in LINUX) we would be able to use ROUTE command to route different connections through different (virtual) interfaces (this is the case since the ROUTE command uses interfaces for routing instructions).

So the question is:

Can we have multiple (virtual) interfaces with different IP addresses on a single NIC on Windows?

Thanks

Hooman

Posted 2011-08-23T07:07:05.983

Reputation: 161

I came to this problem for almost 4 years, I never had an answer, but as i tested there are lots of configuration limit based on ip ( even having a same mac address) – Mahdi Rafatjah – 2017-04-26T10:38:54.040

Im not a network engineer, but dont think this will work. I would assume bandwidth limitations are actually are based on machine address codes (MAC). Even if you were to effectively assign yourself several IPs, they would all use the same MAC. You could give yourself a virtual MAC or a second ethernet card, however a properly set up network would not allow the connection of an unregistered MAC. – Keltari – 2011-08-23T21:00:08.750

If it's MAC based, you can spoof MAC. Also, VMWare has a component called Virtual Ethernet Adapter for Virtual Machines that you may be able to use to acquire multiple IPs and use without any VMs (but YMMV).

– Nithin Philips – 2011-08-23T22:42:00.847

Answers

Windows 7 supports Virtual WiFi:

http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/redmond/projects/virtualwifi/

You can always add multiple static IP addresses with Advanced TCP/IP Settings:

Advanced TCP/IP Settings – The IP Settings Tab

http://www.windowsnetworking.com/articles_tutorials/understanding-advanced-tcp-ip-settings-windows-2003.html

Steve-o

Posted 2011-08-23T07:07:05.983

Reputation: 161

This is how you can set up multiple IPs, but I dont think this will work for the OP. See my comment on the original OPs question. – Keltari – 2011-08-23T21:00:53.507

@Keltari that's why I listed Virtual WiFi first, I think that would be more productive. – Steve-o – 2011-08-24T02:23:49.190

The AP, if it is standard wifi hardware, is not going to give you more than one "association" per wifi adapter in your system. Without that you won't have unique MAC addresses properly recognized by the AP, which mean 1) the AP's DHCP server will not give you mutliple valid IP addresses, and 2) any IPs you make up won't ever appear in its ARP table and will be dropped immediately by the AP.

You can do anything you want on your side but everything is going to be "bottlenecked" by the single association of the AP.

That being said, @Steve-o provides the correct way to add more addresses to a NIC in Windows. However note it is not a complete "true" virtual interface as you cannot assign a unique MAC address to it.

LawrenceC

Posted 2011-08-23T07:07:05.983

Reputation: 63 487

On Windows XP, 2K, or Server Editions, use the Microsoft Loopback Adapter. This gives you a separate (virtual) device, with it's own MAC and IP stack.

user165568

Posted 2011-08-23T07:07:05.983

Reputation: 421