Bridging Connections

To bridge connections

1. Open Network Connections.
2. Under LAN or High-Speed Internet select each of the private network connections that you want to be part of the bridge.
3. Right-click one of the highlighted private network connections, and then click Bridge Connections.

Notes

• To open Network Connections, click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Network Connections.
• You must be logged on as an administrator or a member of the Administrators group in order to complete this procedure. If your computer is connected to a network, network policy settings may also prevent you from completing this procedure.
• You must select at least two eligible network connections in order for Bridge Connections to create a bridge.
• Adapters that have Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) or Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) enabled cannot be part of the network bridge and will not appear on the Network Bridge checklist. Similarly, the Add to Bridge menu command is available only for adapters that you can add as connections to Network Bridge.
• Only Ethernet, IEEE-1394 adapters, or Ethernet compatible adapters such as Wireless and home phoneline adapters (HPNA), can be part of the network bridge.
• Do not create a bridge between the public Internet connection and the private network connection, or add the public Internet connection to an existing network bridge, if you do not have ICF or Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) enabled. To do so will create an unprotected link between your network and the Internet, and your network will be vulnerable to intrusions.
• You can create only one network bridge on a computer, but the bridge can accommodate any number of network connections.
• You cannot create a bridge connection on a computer running Windows 2000 or earlier versions of Windows.
• If you remove adapters from the network bridge, and less than two adapters remain, Network Bridge will not perform its intended function, but it will continue to use system resources.
• Network adapters that previously appeared under LAN or High-Speed Internet, appear under Network Bridge when they are added as connections. Network adapters that provide Internet connectivity, such as DSL and cable modems, cannot be bridged and will always appear under LAN or High-Speed Internet.
• Network bridges with wireless or IEEE-1394 connections support traffic using Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) only.
• Internet Connection Sharing, Internet Connection Firewall, Discovery and Control, and Network Bridge are not available on Windows XP 64-Bit Edition.