[SOLVED] 2 LAN connections on PC at same time - using 1 for surfing and 2nd for torrents

[slayer213]

Hi All,

I recently got a new broadband connnection from a local ISP who is offering high speeds with unlimited data but i had to pay upfront for 6 months. After taking the connection, i realized that this POS ISP blocks torrents - when i say block, they do it at the packet level so there is no way to use bit torrent unless i use some VPN.

Now i have a 2nd connection from another ISP who don't do any such anti consumer practices.

What i wanna know is:

1. Can i install a new LAN card and then plug in ISP1 to it?
2. Plug in ISP2 (allows torrents) to my board's LAN port
3. Use them together -> ISP1 for surfing, etc & ISP2 ONLY for torrents

Can the experts please confirm if this is possible? Can i use them in this config or the only way is to disable a network and switch to the other in windows and then use it? i would still prefer it over my current arrangement where i have to physically unplug & plug the other ISP cable.

Please let me know your inputs.

PS: Cancellation is not an option as they won't refund and don't wanna VPN as that doesn't guarantee it either.

 

[delaro]

1. Have you tried using Magnet links?
2. Do you use a VPN?
3. Do you use an HTTP Proxy?
4. Have you tried switching to a different port like 80
5. Have you tried Seedbox?
6. Have you tried TOR?

Lots of other options out there to try before you waste money on two ISP's.

 

[bill001g]

Torrent is very hard to prevent it has lots of options to make the traffic appears as say https traffic. It is surprising they have accomplished it.

In some ways it is easier than your think to run 2 ISP but it is still not trivial.

You should not need a second nic card.

In most cases I recommend you hook the 2 ISP routers together. You would assign the second one say 192.168.1.2 and disable the DHCP function. This would still make all your traffic use 192.168.1.1. You would then use the route command to send traffic for a list of sites to the second connection.

This method works good for most people but in your case you have 2 application that connect to huge lists of IP addresses so you can't put in a list. Now if you just want to switch all traffic back and forth you can just change the 0.0.0.0 route and point it at the ISP you want to use.

What might work is a program called FORCEBINDIP but the program is not really supported for win10, it works but microsoft patches have broken it many times and it takes a while for them to get it fixed.

There are a number of issues using forcebindip. First is it want to bind a program to a IP address and you only have a single IP when you only have 1 nic. What should/used to work is to assign a secondary IP to the nic. You would still connect the 2 routers together and disable the DHCP on the second but you would assign a IP like 192.168.100.1 to the second router and then put in a secondary IP on your nic at say 192.168.100.99

The second issue with forcebindip is it pretty simplistic concept of what a program is. Since things like chrome start many seperate processes as you open tabs it may or may not get them all. I know it had issues when things like flash would run since that opened a different session. I have no idea what torrent programs do.

In any case you can likely use only a single nic. All the other configuration issues are pretty much the same even if you had a second physical nic card.

 

[SamirD]

You can do it with a second nic, but inbound traffic (which isp/nic will be used and when) is hard to control in windows without some routing rules. If you're only worried about outside traffic coming in, that's easy as both isps have different IP addresses and will correspond to different nics.

You basically have to modify the routing table in windows to force when an isp/nic will be used based on the destination.

For example, if you know that 24.24.24.24 (hypothetical example IP) is where you will be torrenting from, you can create routes that use only a particular nic for that IP, and set the priority of this route higher so it will kick in. This is a simple example, and it gets much more complicated than this since windows was never designed for controlling two nics going to the same destination.

An much easier solution is to set up a dedicated torrenting pc with 2 nics--one that goes to your main system that has the torrents shared, and a second nic that goes to the torrent isp. It doesn't really have to be dedicated, it can just be a laptop with a usb nic as a second nic. And then you can remote desktop into the torrent pc to control it from your main one. Much simpler since you don't have to deal with potentially flaky routing.

 

[slayer213]

1. Have you tried using Magnet links? - its blocked at a packet level, peers won't connect. i m not talking about the torrent sites.
2. Do you use a VPN? - tried, doesnt help
3. Do you use an HTTP Proxy? - see pt 1
4. Have you tried switching to a different port like 80 - see pt 1
5. Have you tried Seedbox? - there are no free seedboxes
6. Have you tried TOR? - see pt 1

Lots of other options out there to try before you waste money on two ISP's. - so yeah, there are no other options. if you have any let me know.

 

[slayer213]

i still haven't got my reply....

can someone just confirm if i can switch off & on my network on both lan ports & enable only 1 at a time if i can't use both simultaneously?

also, would a network switch do the same thing? i am not familiar with them - never used one so wanna check. also, please recommend which one i can buy.

 

[slayer213]

You can do it with a second nic, but inbound traffic (which isp/nic will be used and when) is hard to control in windows without some routing rules. If you're only worried about outside traffic coming in, that's easy as both isps have different IP addresses and will correspond to different nics.

You basically have to modify the routing table in windows to force when an isp/nic will be used based on the destination.

For example, if you know that 24.24.24.24 (hypothetical example IP) is where you will be torrenting from, you can create routes that use only a particular nic for that IP, and set the priority of this route higher so it will kick in. This is a simple example, and it gets much more complicated than this since windows was never designed for controlling two nics going to the same destination.

An much easier solution is to set up a dedicated torrenting pc with 2 nics--one that goes to your main system that has the torrents shared, and a second nic that goes to the torrent isp. It doesn't really have to be dedicated, it can just be a laptop with a usb nic as a second nic. And then you can remote desktop into the torrent pc to control it from your main one. Much simpler since you don't have to deal with potentially flaky routing.

sorry but setting up 2 pcs is not an option. i will have to do it with 1 pc. please provide steps on how to do that. your above explanation is too complicated.

 

[slayer213]

Torrent is very hard to prevent it has lots of options to make the traffic appears as say https traffic. It is surprising they have accomplished it.

In some ways it is easier than your think to run 2 ISP but it is still not trivial.

You should not need a second nic card.

In most cases I recommend you hook the 2 ISP routers together. You would assign the second one say 192.168.1.2 and disable the DHCP function. This would still make all your traffic use 192.168.1.1. You would then use the route command to send traffic for a list of sites to the second connection.

This method works good for most people but in your case you have 2 application that connect to huge lists of IP addresses so you can't put in a list. Now if you just want to switch all traffic back and forth you can just change the 0.0.0.0 route and point it at the ISP you want to use.

What might work is a program called FORCEBINDIP but the program is not really supported for win10, it works but microsoft patches have broken it many times and it takes a while for them to get it fixed.

There are a number of issues using forcebindip. First is it want to bind a program to a IP address and you only have a single IP when you only have 1 nic. What should/used to work is to assign a secondary IP to the nic. You would still connect the 2 routers together and disable the DHCP on the second but you would assign a IP like 192.168.100.1 to the second router and then put in a secondary IP on your nic at say 192.168.100.99

The second issue with forcebindip is it pretty simplistic concept of what a program is. Since things like chrome start many seperate processes as you open tabs it may or may not get them all. I know it had issues when things like flash would run since that opened a different session. I have no idea what torrent programs do.

In any case you can likely use only a single nic. All the other configuration issues are pretty much the same even if you had a second physical nic card.

on the contrary, it is easy to block. its just that this is the first isp who has done it in my country. obviouly i won't be renewing but i am stuck for 6 months so need a solution till then. go read about deep packet inspection technology. they can easily kill the packets which have a torrent header and break all p2p connections from forming. so essentially, you will never pick up speed & download nothing. all isps usually block the torrent websites - these bastards have blocked it at the protocol level so even if i access the sites, i can download nothing.

can you provide a simpler explanation to my problem? i have already provided my options in my OP.

 

[SamirD]

sorry but setting up 2 pcs is not an option. i will have to do it with 1 pc. please provide steps on how to do that. your above explanation is too complicated.

If what I've explained is too complicated, you won't be able to get this running without issues as it gets MUCH more complicated. Just swap the cable as that will be much easier.

 

[Ralston18]

Yes: just swap cables.

There is a lot to be said for simplicity.

However if you do want a "push a button" solution just purchase a mechanical RJ-45 AB switch.

For example:

https://www.amazon.com/Gigabit-Ethe...ocphy=9007743&hvtargid=pla-570189105756&psc=1

And remember, if I followed your posts correctly, 6 months from now you will be back to just one ISP and any need for cable swapping, etc., will be moot.

Just wait it out and swap cables in the meantime.

 

[slayer213]

Yes: just swap cables.

There is a lot to be said for simplicity.

However if you do want a "push a button" solution just purchase a mechanical RJ-45 AB switch.

For example:

https://www.amazon.com/Gigabit-Ethe...ocphy=9007743&hvtargid=pla-570189105756&psc=1

And remember, if I followed your posts correctly, 6 months from now you will be back to just one ISP and any need for cable swapping, etc., will be moot.

Just wait it out and swap cables in the meantime.

ok thanks i guess i ll swap cables then.