How are you using Dual Nics

With all these mini PC's having dual Nics ... How are you using them at the moment I am only using 1 of the 2 Nics ... but would hear how others are using them ?

Generally speaking it is always best to stay single homed unless there is a compelling reason that you need 2 nics. Windows has issues with multiple network interfaces. Typically only 1 interface can have a default gateway and then route statements have to be used for the traffic that does not go over the default interface.

If there are 2 paths to the same resource you can have an issue with packets leaving one interface and being answered on the other interface.

In general it can be a mess and not really needed.

Thanks that makes sense.

Aggregate them, don't treat them as individual interfaces.

Another point of failure and unless you are running a NAS, IMHO unnecessary.

Hypervisors such as Proxmox, Unraid, TrueNas, etc can pass them separately to different containers or VMs. So you could have one service using NIC A and another using NIC B. You could also set it up so that management uses one NIC while all other traffic uses the other NIC.

Variety of options.

On my Synology NAS's I use the second NIC on each for a direct NAS to NAS connection that doesn't connect to a switch/router.
Currently using it for rsync and UPS server/client (one UPS shared by both) communication.

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Interesting never seen that done .... I just added a 2.5 USB NIC to my Synology Nas... grabbed a 2.5 Switch during Prime deals. What a difference it made in response.

In case someone is interested in adding a 2.5 link the documentation is here ... 2.5GbE USB adapter for Synology – NAS Compares

What surprised me when I connected my cDVR via 2.5 Gb was how fast commercial skips are as I watch TV. It went from a second or two when in 1 Gb to near instant. The storage for my cDVR is on a NAS with a 10 Gb link. I have some VMs running on the same Windows box as my cDVR and so far they use local storage. If I need more storage, I'll use one of the ethernets on my mini PC for iSCSI.

I noticed that too by going to 2.5 skip is instant.

Not sure what yall are meaning, faster commercial skips or seeking in general.
There is no client devices that have a 2.5G NIC as of yet... either Apple TV or Android/Google TV powered.
Even if your CDVR server is on a 10GIG NIC (mine is), the bandwidth available to a client device still is limited to 1G regardless.

In my experience with Channels, using the same Apple tv as Client, seeking and com skipping recorded programs, same speed as when i was using a Rpi4b as server, that had a 1G NIC.

The Channels DVR Server, Windows in my case, used to be on a 1Gb Ethernet. When moved to 2.5 Gb Ethernet, commercial skipping became near instantaneous for viewing. My client is a Chromecast with Google TV on WiFi. Yes the speed of the client has an effect in how long the pause for commercial skipping yet apparently the server's link to it's storage is more important. At least that's my interpretation of what is happening.

When I ran cDVR on TruNAS as either a Plug-in or VM I did not experience this speed. I'd blame that on the virtual link and/or task switching.