I have a laptop, can I use Wifi and cable (Ethernet) networking at same time?

Question

I have an intranet without connection to the Internet, and then I have WiFi with connection to the Internet.

Can I make a configuration that makes it possible to be connected to the Internet through WiFi and at the same time being connected to intranet through cable?

I'm on a laptop.

Solution 1

You can plug both in at the same time and be connected to both, but you can only use the Internet from one of them. The computer will prefer the cable.

So if you only have Internet access via one of them then yes you can be connected to both networks. But if both are capable of providing Internet access, then Ubuntu will prefer the cable (Ethernet) network to access the Internet (and not use the Wifi network to access the Internet).

The upside of using two connections that provide Internet access, is that if one is disconnected, you will keep on using the Internet without being affected.

I have asked a similar question on the site before, that you might find useful.

Solution 2

No disrespect, but the question was hurt, badly. See, you don't need "Internet" to use your router, you can connect most wireless gadgets these days to a router to use other functions that do not need a connection to the Internet at all. So yes, he/she could be plugged in to the router with Internet access, and also connected via wireless to a different (perhaps more secure) router used in-house (maybe for file transfer or anything that does not need Internet access). So the answer is yes.

Solution 3

Yes. But at any particular time, the system will only actually be using one of them. I believe that in almost all cases, the ethernet connection is preferred over the wireless. There is probably some configuration change that could be made to prefer wireless, if that is what you wanted.

Comments

[Admin]

Since it's been clarified that you can do this (you just can't access the Internet through both the wired and wireless networks at the same time), are you having trouble setting this up? You should just be able to connect to both networks, but if you're having difficult, you may want to edit your question to add more information and/or comment in reply to specific answers.

[Alvar]

you can't use both at the exact same time so why is the answer yes?

[Rinzwind]

Because he asked if he can connect to both ;)

[Alvar]

"I have a laptop, can i use Wifi and cable net at same time?" from the title of the question. NO you can't use them at the same time. @rinzwind

[Rinzwind]

2 line in the body alvar ;)

[Alvar]

@rinzwind that's how you see it, it's a very vague sentence this discussion is based on! ;)

[Eliah Kagan]

I am connected to a Wifi network and an Ethernet (cable) network at the same right now on my Ubuntu system. You can't (or, more precisely, it's really nontrivial and unworthwhile to achieve) connect to the Internet through both, but you can definitely connect to the Internet through one and access the local network through the other. Every modern operating system is capable of this, and any OS that couldn't do it would not be considered to have serious networking capabilities.

[Tim]

Yes, Escobar. Very good point. Here is a concrete example. I have both ethernet and wireless connections at the same time. I can surf the net, using the ethernet connection. I can also print to my wireless printer, using the wireless connection, at the same time. Both are connected, and both are in use.