Multihoming
Some applications require users to associate a unique IP address with each channel. In these cases, the host computer must be multihomed; meaning, it must be configured to have more than one IP address. This may be accomplished by installing multiple Network Adapter Cards (NIC) in the computer or by assigning multiple IP addresses to a single NIC.
Adding IP Addresses to a Single NIC
1. Click Start and then open Network Connections.
2. Next, click Control Panel | Network and Internet. Then, select the connection to change (such as the Local Area Connection).
3. Click Properties, and then provide the administrator password or confirmation (if prompted).
4. Select the Networking tab. Beneath This connection uses the following items, click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4).
5. Next, click Properties. Ensure that the connection is set to use an IP address by clicking Use the following IP address.
6. Next, specify the IP address settings in the IP Address, Subnet Mask, and Default Gateway fields.
7. To add a second IP address, click Advanced | IP Settings. Beneath IP Address, click Add. Then, enter a new IP address and subnet mask.
Notes:1. Some Windows systems can support up to five IP addresses for each NIC via the control panel. More IP addresses can be added to the registry manually as necessary. To browse, look under HEKY_LOCAL_MACHINE | SYSTEM | CurrentControlSet | Services. Then, select the service associated with the adapter card in question. Under the service, go to the Parameters | TCPIP subkey. Add the IP addresses to IPAddress and then edit SubnetMask and add an entry for each new IP address.
2. There is additional operating system overhead when running on a multihomed system. Unless users are using very fast devices, this overhead should not entirely cancel out the performance gain achieved from distributing the communications load over multiple channels.