Windows 2000 Server high availability on a single subnet: you add a second network adapter to the same IP subnet and want the first adapter to carry all traffic, with the second acting only as a failover so that connectivity continues if the first adapter fails. Which configuration achieves this behavior?

Introduction / Context:
In Windows 2000 networking, outbound traffic selection between multiple interfaces on the same Internet Protocol (IP) subnet is controlled by routing metrics (route cost) rather than binding order. The goal here is to keep all production traffic on the primary network adapter while having an automatic fallback on the secondary adapter if the primary goes down, thereby preserving continuous connectivity for a critical file and print server.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Two network interface cards (NICs) connected to the same IP subnet.
• Desire: prefer NIC1 for all traffic; use NIC2 only upon NIC1 failure.
• Operating system: Windows 2000 Server (no native NIC teaming/bonding).
• Fallback must be automatic; no administrative action during failure.

Concept / Approach:

The Windows IP stack chooses routes by lowest metric. For two identical default routes, the interface metric (or per-route metric) determines preference: lower metric wins. A true failover design requires either vendor NIC teaming (not part of stock Windows 2000) or a manual metric configuration where NIC1 has a lower metric and NIC2 has a higher metric so that NIC2 is used only if the route via NIC1 disappears. None of the listed options actually implements the correct lower-on-primary/higher-on-secondary metric pairing.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

You can verify by running 'route print' and observing the selected interface. Proper configuration shows two default routes with different metrics; the lower one is chosen. Pull the primary cable to see the route removed and the higher-metric route take over.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Disabled backup: no failover exists.

Primary metric = 100: makes the primary less preferred, not more.

Secondary metric = 25: makes the backup more preferred, not less.

Binding order: affects provider order, not IP route selection.

Common Pitfalls:

Assuming binding order controls routing; not configuring asymmetric metrics; expecting native teaming in Windows 2000 without vendor drivers.

Final Answer:

None of the above