Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

An elementary question -

Can a desktop PC have Wifi enabled and connected with a network as well as also being connected with an Ethernet USB ? My printer is also WiFi connected and works fine.

Mine is and it is working perfectly, but I am concerned about any possible conflict. If there is a conflict, it has not yet surfaced.

Please do not refer me to any links, I have read dozens without getting a positive yes or no answer.

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

The short answer is no. I am a bit confused as to what you are trying to achieve or what your current setup is and I have never heard of ethernet USB, they are mutually exclusive types of connectivity, so let me explain things in a more broader sense. Your PC can only be connected to one network at a time and only have one IP address. There are multiple ways of connecting to a network and there are different adaptors so your PC applies metrics to each interface (gives them a score) and the best one wins. As an example, if you were connected to your home network using wifi and then you connected the device (e.g. laptop) to the network using an ethernet cable you would see the laptop drop the wifi connection, switch to the wired connection and get a new IP address.
Generally speaking for you, you should try and keep things as simple as possible and not get your connection settings mixed up. Unless your printer is in the same room as the PC and the PC is the only machine that is going to use it, forget USB, enable wifi and connect the printer to the network. If all of your devices are networked you will find it a lot easier to use them and manage them through the same network settings and options.

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

Thank you and Merry Christmas to you.
i am sorry for using the term USB, I meant the router Ethernet connection.
My PC and printer are about 5 feet away from each other. The WiFi is working fine on both.
I had a WiFi loss (no router connected) when I had to kill the power to my router. For a while WiFi would not connect with my network. I plugged in the router to my PC and fiddled about for most of the day. The router gave me an Internet connection, the WiFi did not.

All my many attempts to connect with the Virgin network were repeatedly met with "cannot connect to this network".

PS - my reference to USB covers the router Ethernet lead which plugs into a socket on my PC. It is not a USB socket. Sorry.

Eventually I got WiFi connected and linked to my printer, I honestly do not know how, but I did. They both work perfect now on WiFi. I am reluctant to unplug the router in case WiFi is lost again.
I understand my router is called a Superhub, see -

https://www.cableforum.uk/images/local/2018/12/12.jpg

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

Routers are solely responsible for creating and maintaining your network. All your devices, PCs, printers games consoles and whatever else, talk to one another by going through the router. If the router is turned off for whatever reason then you have no internet connection and no local network so your PC cannot connect to the printer for example. All the devices save their network settings including the printer so if they lose their connection for whatever reason they will automatically reestablish it as soon as it comes back up. Normally this happens in the background without you realising and it will take a few mins as the shub goes through its boot process. You shouldn't have to faff around with cables or the shub's settings, as a worse case scenario you would reboot the client as the easiest way of reconnecting it to the network. In this example you would turn the printer off and back on again.

As an fyi wherever possible you should always strive to use wired/ethernet connections purely for avoiding problems like this. My shub, router, pc and laser printer are all in the same room and despite having wireless capability, are connected using cables for a faster and uninterrupted connection.

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

Considering it is Christmas Day, you have done me exceedingly proud and I thank you so much.

From what you said, does that answer my question - that you can have both an Ethernet connection and a WiFi network connection on the same PC at the same time with no conflict ?

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

Yes it does answer your question and no you can't. In my first post i explained the operating system (windows 10) uses metrics and scores multiple network interfaces (wired and wireless/ethernet and wifi). You can only use one at a time and you cannot have multiple network connections originating from one device so you do not need to worry about any conflicts because it cant and wont happen. You can only use one at a time and as your pc is a static device i suggest wired.

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

I fully understand in a technical sense what you have said, may I then ask -

As your answer is " no you can't.", why is it that my PC with an Ethernet connection and WiFi fully connected to my network is working perfectly with no signs of distress ?
Why does it not go bang ?

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

You are mistaken, it cannot happen.

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

I am sorry but it is happening as I have explained.

If an engineer says a thing cannot happen and it is happening, it is standard practice that the engineer's next problem is to establish why his supposition is wrong.

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

Show me it is happening

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

Don't worry General, this guy's been here before.

@beaker 17. Here's what happens with your printer and your home network.

PC - router (wired connection) router - printer (wireless connection). Everything in the home network goes via the router (or hub) and the connection is made by the router by whatever means the device uses.
So, the computer (PC) wants to print a document, it asks the router to pass the request to the printer. The router knows the printer is connected wireless so sends s signal to it with the request.
The printer responds and says "yes I'm ready and willing to do that send the request over, I'll do it."
Your router then responds to your PC saying the printer's ready send me the document and I'll pass it on to the printer.
Your document is printed.

Your printer is connected to your PC via the router and not by your "all in one" wireless PC.

When you connect a PC, laptop or whatever via an ethernet able it automatically disables the wireless connection. Your device will always choose the fastest available connection.

Disconnect the ethernet and your device will automatically search for a wireless connection.

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

Thank you for all that information on this special day Pip.
I wish you a very Happy Christmas.

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

0_o Methinks everyone's been on the sherry.

A device with multiple network interfaces can connect to multiple networks simultaneously. Each interface gets it's own IP but with consumer versions of windows controlling what goes on isn't simple to make work properly and it will usually just pipe everything down one connection unless you want to get balls deep into the wonderful world of bridging, interface priority and human sacrifice. Speed isn't really the thing that decides which interface is used, it's much more arcane than that.

Should you do it? Not if you're just doing it to the same network, and doing it on different networks requires a fairly special use case for people at home. Theres no benefit at all to doing this on the same network, you'll just get lots of weird issues that are a complete pain in the arse to trace and figure out whats going on, but by default Windows will just choose a connection to use and stick with that until you disable that interface (if it drops there is no guarantee it will failover to the other one, because it's stupid).

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

We'll see who's been on the sherry. I wish you and beaker17 a long and happy relationship.:D:D:D

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

Thank you all for your valued comments.

BUT my HP Win 10 PC is only a few days old, has an Ethernet cable from my router connected to it and is WiFi connected to my Virgin Media wireless network together with my printer. The PC works perfectly and the printer prints from the PC as required through Wifi.

Duplication ? Almost certain.
Impossible ? Not at all, it works perfect.

I would like to remove the Ethernet connection, but after the WiFi loss and repeated unsuccessful attempts to connect back to my wireless network, I am reluctant to do this.

Always remember the old adage - If it works, don't fix it.

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

Very wise

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

Remember the other old adage - KISS.

The point others are making is that you have made it unnecessarily complex, so if something does go wrong, it will be harder to fix.

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

STOP PRESS !

I would like to apologise for any confusion, misunderstanding and erroneous remarks made on my part concerning my Wifi PC
and associated connections. I am sorry, but it has all been quite a shock after 14 years on XP to be confronted with
a brand new OS system - Win 10 and WiFi, a feature entirely new to me other than I knew it was a wireless system.

I am now clear about the relationship between WiFi and Ethernet.

My previous interpretation was wrong - you cannot have both Ethernet and WiFi connected at the same time - I now agree that it is impossible. I was wrong.

My present state is that my PC is Ethernet connected from my router/Superhub and my printer wireless connected via the
PC and router to the same network.

WiFi is exclusive to the PC itself and if I go this way, I will disconnect the Ethernet cable and connect my PC
to my wireless network. The printer will stay wireless connected to the PC and router.

Thank you all for your comments and I hope this clears the matter up and you will all forgive me for being rather a pain at times.

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

Glad you have it working the way you want.

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

you are still getting your nickers in a twist dude.

1) Wifi and wireless are the same thing and are interchangeable terms.
2) The wifi capability of the PC is not exclusive to the PC as all mobile devices can connect via wifi. You should disable the wireless adaptor on your pc and only use a wired connection to the shub.
3) The router maintains your network for all devices regardless of how they connect. You need to understand that the printer and it's connection is completely independent of your PC and neither rely on one another to work. The fact that both are connecting to the shub wirelessly is immaterial. If your PC is blown up the printer will still work quite happily and any networked devices such as another laptop somewhere in the house will be able to connect to the printer and the printer will still print.
5) The printer is connected to the network via wifi to the router and that is the only thing which matters. All it cares about is the router and it doesn't matter if anything else is connected to the network, what type of devices they are or what they do. If any device wants to communicat with the printer it goes through the router.

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

@General Maximus

"you are still getting your nickers in a twist dude. " - You think so do you ?

Well - MY PC is on Ethernet. MY printer is wireless connected to my PC. MY PC is not wireless connected, it is on Ethernet for Internet connection..

See the image. WIFI says NOT CONNECTED. THAT means the PC is NOT connected to the Internet.
Network - virginmedia0945948 says CONNECTED - the Ethernet connection, providing wireless and Internet connection.

Well dude IF Wifi and wireless are the same thing with my PC, HOW can one be NOT CONNECTED and the other CONNECTED ?

The printer is wireless connected to the PC by the router's Ethernet cable.
The PC itself is NOT configured to operate by WiFi for Internet connection. To do this, I would have to disconnect the Ethernet cable and WiFi connect the PC to the router's wireless network channel.

https://www.cableforum.uk/images/local/2018/12/16.jpg

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

Your printer is connected to your router by wifi (wireless connection), then to your PC by the Ethernet connection (the cable) - it cannot connect by wifi over an Ethernet cable, that’s not how it works*...

According to your picture, the wifi connection on your network card is not connected to anything (including your printer).

*wifi = a facility allowing computers, smartphones, or other devices to connect to the Internet or communicate with one another wirelessly within a particular area.

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

oh I absolutely do and this is the last lesson I am going to give you in rudimentary networking and then you can go off and read some links

well that's funny because in previous posts you said it was connected by wifi but I will agree that it has a wired connection. The wired/Ethernet connection is not exclusively for internet access as you maintain. As I have stated previously, Ethernet/wired and wifi/wireless are just different ways devices can connect to a router. The router creates and maintains a network and if the router happens to have access to a gateway (internet access) then it can forward the traffic. The Ethernet connection your pc has to the router is to provide the pc network access whether it be to a networked printer or access to the internet.

no it doesn't, it means the wireless adaptor on the pc (wifi) has no network connection which means it is not connected to the router and has no access to networked services including the internet. The PC is connected to the internet because it has a wired network connection which is up.

NO NO NO! Ethernet is a communication standard for WIRED cable connections and has nothing to do with wireless communication. You have two completely separate network adapters in your pc, one for wired and one for wireless. As I stated in previous posts, your wired connection takes precedence over wireless so your network connection is active on the Ethernet network adaptor connecting you to the router which is labelled as "virginmedia bla bla". If the router happens to provide access to the internet as well as other networked services (e.g. printing) then great. Your pc is not using any wireless connection and it is in no way whatsoever connected to your printer wirelessly. The list of wireless networks in your screen dump is not a list of connected networks, it is a list of networks which the wireless adaptor says are in range and can try and connect to. You are not connected to any of them until you click on one of them and then enter the necessary credentials such as network password. You have not done this which is why your network adaptor says it is not connected. The network names look similar because it is broadcasting the network name of the shub but note that the wireless network has a 2 at the end to indicate that it is the second network to have this name, the wired one being the first. You can easily avoid this confusion by logging into the shub and giving the shub one name and the wireless ssid (wireless network name) something completely different like Christmas. That way you will always be crystal clear which one you are connected to and also avoid connectivity issues in the future in case you try and connect to a neighbours router which is also called "virginmedia bla bla".

because they are the same thing and it is not connected. The wireless network adaptor is not connected to a network thus your pc is not using wifi. You have a wired Ethernet connection which is up and has nothing whatsoever to do with wireless.

no it is not, the printer is not connected to the pc at all and is not using an Ethernet cable. The printer is a networked device and maintains its connection to the network via a wireless connection/wifi to the router. As stated previously, the printer does not care what is beyond the router or what other devices are connected to the router. Any device such as your pc which needs to communicate with the printer does so by sending the information to the router and router sends it on from there. It doesn't matter which device is Ethernet or wireless as long as they can connect to the router. The router manages the individual connections and makes sure each of the devices can communicate with one another.

no you do not, as I have just said above, each device only has to worry about how it is going to communicate and maintain its own connection to the router. It is the routers job to manage the collective connections/network and make sure everything can talk to each other. A wired pc can print something on a wireless printer and a wifi connected tablet can print something on an Ethernet/wired connected printer. They are different types of connections which the router has to manage and allow all the networked devices talk to each other. That is what routers are for. If your want to print something on your pc your pc will send the request through it's Ethernet connection to the router, the router will then see where it needs to go to, see that the requested device is connected wirelessly and send the request over wifi. The printer does not know that the originating device (your pc) has a wired connection nor does it care.


To save your brain exploding I want you to think of this scenario. You work at the Foreign Office and your job is to service diplomatic requests from around the world. Everyday you come to work and your secretary has a pile of requests ready for you on your desk which she has typed up and are all in English in the same standardised report format which you are used to. What you don't know is that Chin Wan in China hand wrote his request in Chinese and it had to be translated, Gunter in Sweden emailed his request, Hans in the north pole sent his via morse code and that Beatrice sent hers through the post in Braille. You are completely oblivious and do not need to know. Each person had their own way of getting the information to the secretary, the secretary put it into a format which you could understand and respond to, you are going to process the request, give it back to your secretary and she is then going to make sure it gets back to the relevant person in the same way they sent it to her.

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

Resolution.

I have no interest in how many times Beaker posted, what he said, whether he was right or wrong, or even in his newbie role with Win 10 and WiFi is playing with the big boys.

The PC has two means of Internet connectivity. One is by Ethernet cable which connects the PC to the routers wireless network and the other by independently (no Ethernet) tuning in (plugging in) to the routers wireless network.

Only one means of wireless connection is possible, either an Ethernet cable or a wireless network by signal, generally called WiFi, but not both.

My Ethernet connection from the router is providing an Internet connection and a wireless printer connection. Disconnect the Ethernet and there will be no Internet and no printer connection. The PC would need to be connected (plugged in) to the routers wireless network by signal for both the PC to receive Internet and the printer to be actively linked with the PC.

That is why my WiFi is currently showing "no connection", it is correct. I have an Ethernet cable connected system.

AND there is no need to be rude just because one has a million posts notched up, or list a thousand and one previous statements simply to justify a nasty comment.

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

There is no excuse for rudeness, but unfortunately, frustration at not being listened to can sometimes make people seem rude.

People with technical experience are trying to help you, and you dismiss them out of hand.

Ethernet cable is not wireless, as it is a wire - wireless literally means not using a wire.

The router can be connected to in two ways - one using a Ethernet cable (wired), ond one using wifi (wireless) - you are using the terms interchangeably, and they aren’t.

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

Time for some links. It would be highly beneficial for you to have a read of:

Ethernet

Wireless

Networks

LANs/your home network

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

Thank you again everybody for your help.

If Ethernet does not transmit a wire-less signal to my PC, how does my printer work ? The only wire to that is a power cable, but it prints by wire-less signal from my router via my PC.

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

As you have been told several times your PC contacts the router via a wired (ethernet) connection, the router then passes on the print request to the printer via wireless.

It is the router that facilitates and manages contact between devices on your home network.

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

I think I understand what Beaker17 means. Ethernet does transmit the wire-less signal to the PC. It does this in the router which where it converts the signal from the wireless device into a form that can be transmitted along a cable .

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

Bravo and thank you.

We are dealing with wireless, even though the PC is Ethernet connected.
The PC itself is not connected independently (no Ethernet) to a wireless network - WiFi, as WiFi is not connected - see my earlier image. But it has the wireless transmitting capabilities to communicate with my printer when the printer is "plugged in" to the PC. Wireless no cables.

The connection between my PC and printer is wireless not cabled.
My Win 10 PC is wireless enabled, my XP is not. I used to connect my printer by USB to the PC.

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

No your connection is part wireless and part cabled.

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

Sorry but YES, I agree and that is what I have been trying to explain all along. I have both an Ethernet and wireless arrangement.

Some on here appear to have completely missed that point and have resorted to rude remarks.

The Ethernet connection to my PC is irrelevant to my printer in a direct sense, the printer is connected through the wireless capabilities of my PC.

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

Again you are wrong. Disable your wireless adapter on your PC and you will still be able to print exactly as you do now via your ethernet connection.

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

While it does no harm - If it works, don't fix it.
We are still talking about the part of my system that is wireless.

I may hopefully go entirely WiFi, so the wireless adaptor will already be waiting.

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

No it's not. I have explained at length giving numerous examples how tmit works and if you want to play dumb that is up to you. I am not participating any more.

If my explanations did not provide enough detail consult the global networking gods and read this:

https://www.cisco.com/c/en_uk/soluti...witch-how.html

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

Auf Wiedersehen General and thanks.

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

It’s like trying to explain chemistry to a wombat...

The cable to from the router doesn’t transmit a wireless signal, as it’s a wire (wireless - no wire required). - the data to be printed is transmitted by a wired connection (the Ethernet cable) from the PC to the VM router, and then the data is transmitted by wifi (wireless, no wires/cables involved) from the router to the printer, then printed.

To prove this, unplug the Ethernet cable that runs between the router and your all in one pc from the back of the PC (leaving the cable in the router and the router powered up), and you will find that you cannot print as you have removed the network link between the router and the all in one PC.

I’m now at the point where I think you’re trolling...

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

How insulting to infer I am trolling.

I am trying without an atom of success to explain that my wireless enabled PC acts as a sub-station and the router as the transmitting station. But nobody appears to understand a word of it. I am obviously not the wombat, it is others.

Of course if you cut the cable from the transmitter there will be no reception.
Likewise if you shut down the sub-station (PC) the printer will not work.

It is the PC that connects with the printer NOT the router.
And the same principle is present with a WiFi circuit.

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

That's not correct. The router is normally the thing that coordinates everything talking to each other, much like a telephone exchange would.

In your setup, the printer will continue to work as long as the router is on. For instance you could print from a phone or tablet connected to the router when the PC is off.

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

I give up in sheer frustration, the wombat is now retiring from this palace of confusion.

My thanks to everybody for an interesting and in my case a partially fruitful discussion. And may I add that the Cable Forum is a superb place for resolving problems. That is meant sincerely and not sarcastically.

I wish you all a Happy New Year.

---------- Post added at 16:45 ---------- Previous post was at 15:48 ----------

My parting gift to Ben.

Sorry Ben, but the router means nothing if the PC, tablet, phone or bull horn is missing. It is the router signal picked up by the control device that gives the router/ printer its instructions not the router.

The TV transmitting station is operating 24/7 but if your own TV is switched off it makes no difference.

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

Where do you think the router signal comes from, if not the router?

https://www.explainthatstuff.com/wirelessinternet.html

What would I know, with only 38 years experience in IT...

(And 6 years before that in the RAF in Telecommunications)

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

Perhaps this makes sense

PC wants to print a file. There are two ways to do it.

1. Connect the printer to the PC directly (if the printer allows it)

2. If not then you need some sort of intermediary to sit between the PC and the printer. Normally this would a router.

3. One thing that does occur to be is can the wifi card in the PC be configured to route all traffic to the printer avoiding the router. I cant think of a way.

I started earily than hew back in the 80s first with X25 and then IP

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

Maybe a diagram will help....

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

Well this thread escalated fairly quickly didn't it?

It's a pity nobody asked 'beaker17' what printer he had or if he had direct print (or similar) switched on (probably yes) because in that case it might well create an ad-hoc wifi network and start broadcasting discovery frames which a PC with the proper software installed will find and connect to - over wifi while Windows will quite happily tell you that the wifi is 'Not Connected' because it is looking for an infrastructure-type setup, ie a proper IP address, gateway etc. So it's perfectly possible that his PC is connected 'wirelessly' directly to his printer, completely ignoring the SuperHub and all the while Windows claiming that the wifi is not connected.

Anyhow, back to his original question, can you have wifi and cabled ethernet (although on some levels you can argue that wifi transmissions are a form of ethernet as well) connected at the same time? And the answer is an unequivocal 'YES'. And I know because it drives me nuts with some of my clients who have laptops plugged into docking stations (we'll actually port replicators) and they get two IP addresses (and I hate waste) and it's always a bit vague as to which interface traffic will flow through.

This was actually addressed back in post 13 where it was pointed out that PCs, printers, tablets etc. never, ever have an IP address, it's the network interface which has the address and if you have more than one network interface they can both be connected and both can have their own IP address (and as long as the MAC addresses are different) there won't be any issues at all - no bridging loops etc. It's not ideal from a traffic management point of view, but in a home setup, who cares?

Now it is possible that some PC chipsets 'might' detect two connections to the same subnet and choose one to shutdown but this isn't normal or standard, in fact i'm posting this from an iMac with both wifi and ethernet connected and operational with IP addresses of 172.22.57.150 and 151 (I reserve them in DHCP) and I leave it to sort out which route to take outbound.

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

you are an absolute dick. How many times have we told you that is not the case, explaining why and you keep coming back and saying the same thing over and over again. If you don't believe us or don't understand go and do some googling and read up on networks. Only a 3 year old would keep saying the same thing over and over again without using some initiative and trying to find out more if they disagree.

If you buy this book I promise you'll learn everything you need to know about networks and how they work. I can't recommend it enough.

on my laptop when I sit down at my desk and connect the cable windows automatically drops the wireless connection in favour of the wired connection.

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

Trust me this is beaker17 we're talking about and his little posts always escalate! from something simple to something made complicated, he just needs to learn to accept that the people in this thread all have good intentions but it is only him that is complicating the matter and probably just needs to sit back and relax.

As everyone has told him he doesn't need a wireless connection from his PC to the router if it is also connected via ethernet, the easiest and best option is just to remove the the wireless connection if he intends on using ethernet or remove the ethernet if he wants to go 100% wireless which will likely cause more issues in the future.

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

you decided to make an appearance ;)

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

I ran out of popcorn and hair to pull out! :D

Re: Windows 10 Desktop WiFi
 

https://www.quora.com/Can-I-use-Ethe...simultaneously

The technique, which is what I call it, is used for specific static IP address routing and/or load balancing or aggregation (bonding).