Searchable Title: Loopback Adapter for Windows

Ever tried to run a local cluster of JBoss AS instances on your laptop while sitting on an airplane?  If you are running Windows, you came across a "feature" which doesn't allow you to route multicast traffic to localhost when your ethernet cable is disconnected.  To work around this "feature" you can install a loopback adapter on your Windows box and set it up with a static IP address.

I use this configuration successfully on a daily basis.  However, I only enable my loopback adapter when I am disconnected from the network.  I disable it again when reconnecting my laptop to the network because I haven't setup the proper routing tables.  Feel free to update this wiki with a routing update command which makes this step un-necessary.

The following information is directly from Microsoft:

Windows Loopback Adapter:

Loopback Adapter is a software network card that reroutes network traffic to Windows Redirector for simulating a fully functional network. Loopback Adapter is part of any Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Home standard installation; you just have to install it by using the Add Hardware tool in Control Panel.

To install Loopback Adapter:

1. In Control Panel, double-click Add Hardware.

2. Click Next.

3. In the Is the hardware connected box, click Yes, I have already connected the hardware, and then click Next.

4. In the list of installed hardware, click Add a new hardware device, and then click Next.

5. In the next dialog box, click Install the hardware that I manually select from a list (Advanced), and then click Next.

6. In the Common hardware types list, click Network adapters, and then click Next.

7. In the Manufacturer list, click Microsoft, click Microsoft Loopback Adapter in the Network Adapter list, and then click Next.

8. Click Next again.

9. To complete the Add Hardware Wizard, click Finish.

10. assign a static IP address for this adapter (e.g. 192.168.0.1)

On Linux:

• Add the config lines bellow to /etc/network/interfaces

iface dummy0 inet static
address 10.1.5.1
netmask 255.255.255.0

iface dummy0:1 inet static
address 10.1.5.2
netmask 255.255.255.0

• bring the interfaces up with "ifup dummy0"

• on the next restart, you don't need to use ifup