It is becoming commonplace to have more than one Ethernet adapter in a PC or embedded controller, especially in systems where wired and wireless adapters are both present. However, the presence of more than one Network Interface Card (NIC) can cause connectivity problems if each network interface is not carefully configured to account for the overall network layout. This tutorial outlines basic Ethernet networking concepts, explains why incorporating multiple NICs can cause problems, and provides best practices to follow when working with a multi-NIC system. In addition, several common scenarios are explored, including an NI Real-Time Hypervisor system that features a complex network configuration.
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