Specific ip settings for different wifi access points

Question

I have a situation where I want to connect a tablet to two different networks, not simultaneously but switching from one to the other (and at different locations). The tablet is running on Windows 8.1.

On one network I want to use DHCP in order to get IP settings, but on the other I need to use a static IP address. Currently I have to reconfigure this manually every time I switch.

Is it possible in Windows, to bind specific IP adapter settings to a specific wifi access point? If so, how?

Answer 1

Not familiar with tablets running Win8 personally, but on a computer/laptop running Windows8, you can provide an "Alternate Configuration" that will be used if DHCP fails.

If available, this is a separate tab on the same window where you would be changing from DHCP to static and back. All you need to do is enter your static IP information on the "Alternate Configuration" tab and once DHCP fails it will revert to these settings.

Keep in mind, this requires DHCP to fail, so there will be a "delay" after you connect before you have access to the network. This can be annoying, but possibly less annoying than making the changes manually. My concern with a tablet is how it will handle it if it goes to sleep and wakes up...will there be a delay every time or will it "remember" it's IP settings?

Answer 2

Since you typically a tablet usually has just one NIC, and which is seen as an interface, and an interface has to be configured either on DHCP or static to work, this would be possible if you managed to add a second wireless card to you tablet, maybe usb and configure that interface to always use static, the second option would be to write or download an app to make the configurations for you assuming that you always use the same static ip address for your other network.

as for binding the settings to the accespoint, no, since those settings are kept on your tablet.