How to connect internet to wi-fi router and intranet through lan cable simultaneously?

[nickdp]

Hello everyone!

Here I work with both the internal network, and internet, via LAN cable in the LAN port of my laptop.
However, that internet is incredibly slow.

We have another internet router, totally different phone line, wifi. If I connect to it through wifi, internet speed is good, however I get disconnected from the lan cable and cannot access the internal network and server anymore!

Is there any way to keep them both connected at the same time so that:
• from the LAN cable I will ONLY get access to the internal network
• from the other Wi-Fi router I will get the internet connection?

I use Windows 7.

Thank you so much!

 

[alexoiu]

Hi, home, or office? If office and "I don't want any internet stuff through this", then add another laptop that you'd connect to the Internet, but not to the LAN. You'd use an USB drive for transferring stuff. And a good antivirus.
Or, the current method.

 

[nickdp]

Hi, home, or office? If office, then add another laptop that you'd connect it to the Internet.

Thanks alex, I can't get another laptop.


Also, the internet that comes through the LAN is horribly slow. I run speedof.me and here's the results:

Latency: 1861 ms
Download: 230 kbps
Upload: 30 kpbs

It's overloaded with tons of computers on that line. And it even kind of slows down normal operations of my computer when I quickly (and multitaskingly) pass from one task to another doing many things at the same time.

 

[alexoiu]

No problem. It can be solved via server, not through your computer.

 

[nickdp]

No problem. It can be solved via server, not through your computer.

So maybe I didn't explain very well:

The secondary wi-fi router I'd like to use for internet access is a totally separated system, it's not interfaced with the internal network at all. Even the phone company that provides the internet to that router is different.

So that wifi router, and the internal network server, really are 2 distinct and separate entities. There's no way putting hands on that server will somehow "manage" the wifi router on my side.

That's my local computer issue: if I connect through the lan cable the wifi gets disabled. If I connect at the wifi the LAN cable connection automatically gets disabled, and I can't access to the internal network anymore.

So it's really my computer that needs to be able to use both at the same time: LAN cable and WIFI internet connection.

Thanks

 

[alexoiu]

From the security point of view, it would be a vulnerability.
But, if you have admin rights, check the ideas here: https://superuser.com/questions/479654/how-to-use-wireless-and-wired-connection-both-at-a-same-time-in-windows-7
or
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-networking/wired-and-wireless-connections-on-the-same-windows/ee40d9a6-297b-46d4-b5c8-db57d927b62e
or look for similar.

 

[nickdp]

From the security point of view, it would be a vulnerability.
But, if you have admin rights, check the ideas here: https://superuser.com/questions/479654/how-to-use-wireless-and-wired-connection-both-at-a-same-time-in-windows-7
or
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-networking/wired-and-wireless-connections-on-the-same-windows/ee40d9a6-297b-46d4-b5c8-db57d927b62e
or look for similar.

Thanks Alex,

I think I made it.

I connected through the LAN cable, then in the properties of the local area network, I opened TCP/IP v4 protocol properties, and put my iP address following these instructions:

http://

That disabled the internet access while still accessing to the local network.

Then I connected to the WIFI router and I was able to surf the web again.
And I was still able to access the local network!

I even unplugged the lan cable, and I wasn't able to access the local network anymore, but still ok with internet (through wifi).

Plugged in the lan cable again and again gained access to the local network.

Now I just need to see what happens when I restart the computer.... hopefully this will become default.

Any suggestions?

thanks again!

 

[boosted1g]

You need to make sure that both networks are on a different IP subnets.
You need to set wifi adapter as priority
You need static IP for LAN adapter and NO entry for gateway.

Now you should be consulting your work IT admin as this could create a very large security vulnerability to the work network, and the static IP may not be allowed.

 

[nickdp]

You need to make sure that both networks are on a different IP subnets.
You need to set wifi adapter as priority
You need static IP for LAN adapter and NO entry for gateway.

Now you should be consulting your work IT admin as this could create a very large security vulnerability to the work network, and the static IP may not be allowed.

Oh wow, I don't know if I did that.

I just followed the instructions in that youtube video that I linked above.
Yes, I did enter an IP address somewhere, as the video said, but that was already my machine IP address (and erased the gateway thing). That was used in order to disable the internet access through the LAN cable network.

I wouldn't expect that disabling internet access would on the contrary create vulnerability issues. What do you think?
Is that the same dangerous "static IP" thing you were talking about?

Thank you so much.

 

[boosted1g]

I have no idea the structure/equipment of your work so I am just working on general principle here.

Lets say your work has a web server or other server with data on it. They also have a corporate firewall, and intrusion detection/prevention device that keeps the data on that server safe from people on the internet.

Now if you say hookup a cellular wifi hotspot to your computer AND the work network, your computer is now a bridge for people on the internet to be able to access the servers of your work while bypassing all the security measures in place. Even worse they now have authenticated access to the server through your computer since you are logged in.

 

[boosted1g]

In a nutshell you are allowing people on the intenret the same access to your work servers/computers as if they are in the office with you and you logged them in to your work computer with your account.

 

[nickdp]

In a nutshell you are allowing people on the intenret the same access to your work servers/computers as if they are in the office with you and you logged them in to your work computer with your account.

Wow thanks very much for your explanation, very clear!
I see. However, here's the thing:

Normally, everybody uses the OPTION a):

a) OLD ROUTER wifi signal to connect to the internet. Which totally sucks for extreme slowness.
When connected with this wifi network, we also have access to the internal server with all the files, records, and stuff, basically, to our server you were talking about
(I guess the phone company's router is also connected somehow to our internal server. So when we connect to this old router via wifi to access to the internet, we have also access to our internal server)

b) LAN CABLE: if an employee disconnects from the above mentioned wifi and connects using the LAN cable (plugging it into the wall), we use the same internet connection as above (suckingly slow), and of course, again, we have access to our internal server.

c) NEW ROUTER: new phone company, new line. Faster wifi internet connection..
However, this router is not connected to our internal server, yet. So, if we connect to this router (wifi), we don't have access to our internal server.

What I did was:
Connect to our internal server through LAN cable network (disabling internet access here)
Connect to the internet through NEW ROUTER's wifi connection.

Now I understood what you're saying, but I wonder:

What about option a) ? Almost everybody here has option a).
So they're connected to the internet through the wifi of that router. Then they also have access to the internal server.
So, correct me if I'm wrong, basically every single employee's computer can be a vulnerable point as you said... right?

If so, than my personal solution won't change anything.

If not, how's that possible? They have both access to the internet and to the internal server by connecting to that old router via wifi...

Thank you so much!

 

[boosted1g]

WiFi from router A and router C can be the same, or very very different depending on what security devices are connected to it.

If your workplace just has the ISP provided router/modem that provides internet and your server connects directly to that then they really dont have any advanced security measures in place. So by using the alternative internet source (option C) it is like having 2 locked doors instead of 1. Its the same level of security at each door, there is just now 2 entrances that can be attacked instead of 1. So by using C and B you are not reducing security per-say, just providing 1 more way you could get into the network from outside.

If however they have their own networking hardware plugged in then that hardware is likely providing more advanced security from the internet, and by you using that alternative internet source you are allowing any outside attacker the ability to completely bypass all of that security. With the door example this is more like your building has a beefy steel door with multiple locking cylinders (option A&B), and for closer access to yoru desk you just installed a cheap home grade exterior door (option C). All of that extra security is now pointless because the attacker can now break through the much weaker door you just installed.


If your work has an IT person/team then there is likely reason why you guys are still using the old slower internet connection.

 

[nickdp]

WiFi from router A and router C can be the same, or very very different depending on what security devices are connected to it.

If your workplace just has the ISP provided router/modem that provides internet and your server connects directly to that then they really dont have any advanced security measures in place. So by using the alternative internet source (option C) it is like having 2 locked doors instead of 1. Its the same level of security at each door, there is just now 2 entrances that can be attacked instead of 1. So by using C and B you are not reducing security per-say, just providing 1 more way you could get into the network from outside.

If however they have their own networking hardware plugged in then that hardware is likely providing more advanced security from the internet, and by you using that alternative internet source you are allowing any outside attacker the ability to completely bypass all of that security. With the door example this is more like your building has a beefy steel door with multiple locking cylinders (option A&B), and for closer access to yoru desk you just installed a cheap home grade exterior door (option C). All of that extra security is now pointless because the attacker can now break through the much weaker door you just installed.


If your work has an IT person/team then there is likely reason why you guys are still using the old slower internet connection.

Perfectly clear, thanks.

There's an IT guy as external contractor who comes every now and then when we need him.

Both the wifi routers are the phone company's routers, but I don't know if option A has some kind of other security device between the router and the internal server.

We got the new phone line and router because of the slowness and overload of the old one, however the guy didn't come yet to connect that router to the internal server. It might take a while.

I'll investigate.

Thanks a lot, I appreciate your concern and thorough attention to details and care!