When dealing with Windows machines configured with multiple network interfaces (multi-homed systems), the routing behavior can sometimes be counterintuitive. A classic scenario is when Windows prioritizes the wrong interface for certain destinations, particularly when both interfaces are on the same subnet but serve different purposes.

In this specific case:

• Interface 1: LAN connection (192.168.0.254, gateway 192.168.0.10)
• Interface 2: Direct connection to recorder server (192.168.0.233)

Windows attempts to use the recorder interface (192.168.0.233) when pinging 192.168.0.6, despite this address being reachable through the LAN interface.

The standard Windows route command syntax is:

route add [destination] mask [netmask] [gateway] if [interface_index]

However, as observed in the output, the interface specification sometimes doesn't appear to "stick" in the routing table view. This is actually a display limitation rather than a functional issue.

To correctly force traffic to 192.168.0.6 through the LAN interface:

route add 192.168.0.6 mask 255.255.255.255 192.168.0.254 if 13 -p

Key adjustments from the original attempt:

• Used 255.255.255.255 (host route) instead of 255.255.255.0
• Specified the target interface IP as gateway (192.168.0.254)
• Added -p flag for persistence across reboots

While the routing table display might not show the interface index, you can verify correct behavior with:

route print
ping 192.168.0.6
tracert 192.168.0.6

Another effective method is adjusting interface metrics:

netsh interface ipv4 set interface "Ethernet" metric=10
netsh interface ipv4 set interface "Recorder" metric=50

If issues persist:

1. Check firewall settings on both interfaces
2. Verify that both interfaces have correct subnet masks
3. Confirm ARP resolution with arp -a

For production environments:

• Document all static routes in a configuration management system
• Consider implementing persistent routes via Group Policy
• Evaluate if VLAN separation would be a cleaner solution

---

When dealing with multiple network interfaces on Windows systems, the routing table might not always behave as expected. In this scenario, we have:

• LAN Interface: 192.168.0.254 (connected to network with gateway 192.168.0.10)
• Recorder Interface: 192.168.0.233 (directly connected to recorder server)

When pinging 192.168.0.6, Windows incorrectly attempts to route through the recorder interface (192.168.0.233) which has no network connectivity. The routing table shows:

Interface List
 13...00 ff 1a 2b 3c 4d ......LAN Interface
 14...00 aa bb cc dd ee ......Recorder Interface

The proper way to specify both gateway AND interface in Windows route command is:

route add 192.168.0.6 mask 255.255.255.0 192.168.0.10 if 13 -p

Where:

• 192.168.0.6 = destination IP
• 255.255.255.0 = subnet mask
• 192.168.0.10 = gateway
• if 13 = interface index from your list
• -p = makes the route persistent

After adding the route, verify with:

route print

The output will show the route associated with the gateway, but Windows will actually use the specified interface. This is normal behavior in Windows routing table display.

Another approach is to adjust interface metrics:

netsh interface ipv4 set interface "LAN Interface" metric=10
netsh interface ipv4 set interface "Recorder Interface" metric=20

This makes Windows prefer the LAN interface for all routing decisions.

• Always run Command Prompt as Administrator
• Verify interface index numbers with route print
• Check firewall settings if pings still fail
• Use tracert 192.168.0.6 to see actual route taken

Here's the full sequence of commands:

:: List interfaces
route print

:: Add persistent route
route add 192.168.0.6 mask 255.255.255.0 192.168.0.10 if 13 -p

:: Verify route
route print

:: Test connectivity
ping 192.168.0.6
tracert 192.168.0.6