How to Configure 2 IP Addresses

I have encountered many situations where I needed two IPv4 addresses on my Microsoft computer:

If you are fortunate enough, you can simply access the equipment, physically connect to it, and reconfigure or restore the last configuration.

But what do you do if the equipment is in a locked facility or up on a tower or if you are working remotely?

That’s where this tip comes in. By configuring two IP addresses on a computer, I can connect to it, that is, if I am on the same subnet or VLAN. That way I have the best of both worlds — my regular IP address to access the internet or email and an IP address in the same subnet as the factory IP address.

If you are working off-site or using VPN to access that network, here’s another tip. I ask the client to provide a computer that we can access with whatever remote desktop solution they use and ensure it is on the same subnet as the equipment. Then I add another IP address to it, and I’m good to go.

The trickiest part of this exercise is ensuring that the IP address you use is not already in use because pinging that address might not be a good verification method. If a firewall is enabled, that system will probably block pings.