When I have both wireless and wired network adapters enabled...Which one gets used?

Question

On my notebook, I'd really like to keep both enabled so that in case I only get one or the other, either will work.

However, if I get both wired and wireless signals, which one does Windows use? Can it combine the speed of both, or does it get limited to one? And which one?

Answer 1

Windows will use the default connection, which in most instances will be the wired connection if it's connected. There's no way of combining the speed of both.

Answer 2

As far as windows knows the two connections its receiving could be from totally different networks. Therefore, it can have both enabled at the same time, and will just use whichever one is the default. For example if the wired connection is default when you try to go online it will check there first, and if no signal is available it will go to wireless. If you are plugged in it will use this connection.

Its like a printer, you may have one on your PC that will automatically work but if it ran out of ink you could just use the next best thing (another printer.)

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

It is possible to use both. Wired and wireless each get their own (internal) IP address.

Obviously, a wired ethernet is much faster at 1 Gbps, compared to wifi (54 Mbps as theoretical maximum) and it is more reliable. For email, web browsing wireless is fine. For copying large files, for backing up over the network and video streaming at home, wired is the way to go at this point.

Answer 4

No it can only use one connection. It will most likely use the wired connection and not the wireless. You can actually check by viewing the receiving and sending of packets for both connections. Or in vista just go to the network and sharing center and it will say wireless or wired. To learn windows hacks visit my website. The link is in my profile

Answer 5

they will both work

i have wireless and networking on my PC

Answer 6

Windows will generally use the wired connection first.  It cannot combine the speed of both - that kind of technology died with the old shotgun modems that Diamond used to make in the late 90s...