Routing Applications through Specific Connections

[Icy-Infinity]

'lo i use a iMac mid '09 @ work we have access to multiple connections Ethernet and Airport. Sadly the Ethernet is fire-walled and doesn't allow specific connections through; lucky though the airport is not.
The thing that is most frustrating is our system critical app HAS to run through the Ethernet to function under the fire-walled connection; but being on mac it's a friggin task to switch between the two because you have to go into network and set the service order each time to flip between them.

I really need away that i can assign a specific application to use a specific connection (airport) that is active and connected while keeping the service order the same as to not mess with the system critical App that has to run through the enet. Is there any process or outside app that i could use to force other apps to use the airport connection while still leaving the Crit app using the enet?

I've been able to set the service order over to airport launch the app i want to use it and then switch back over to enet for the crit app but it seemed to work fine but that's a lot of Jank to pull each time i want to use an outside app. also i didn't really do it for any length of time so i don't know if that process would even hold up over time or flip back over to the opposite connection when it needed a fresh link

 

[Icy-Infinity]

still haven't worked this one out yet - still givin' me a headache - any ideas at all would be good at this point.

 

[Carlos E]

I started a new job and I'm in the same situation. Certain web sites and applications are fire walled. I have a Sprint 3G card and I want to have both active so my work apps use the ethernet and iChat Yahoo Messenger use my Sprint 3G card.

 

[Detektiv-Pinky]

I started a new job and I'm in the same situation. Certain web sites and applications are fire walled. I have a Sprint 3G card and I want to have both active so my work apps use the ethernet and iChat Yahoo Messenger use my Sprint 3G card.

So you essentially want to violate the security policy of your company. I am not sure your network security officer will aprove...

 

[Carlos E]

So you essentially want to violate the security policy of your company. I am not sure your network security officer will aprove...

As long as it's not being access through their network they shouldn't be concerned.

 

[old-wiz]

As long as it's not being access through their network they shouldn't be concerned.

That might not fly with the security people; they tend to be very narrow minded. If they block iChat etc there's a reason for it.

 

[Detektiv-Pinky]

'lo i use a iMac mid '09 @ work we have access to multiple connections Ethernet and Airport. Sadly the Ethernet is fire-walled and doesn't allow specific connections through; lucky though the airport is not.
The thing that is most frustrating is our system critical app HAS to run through the Ethernet to function under the fire-walled connection; but being on mac it's a friggin task to switch between the two because you have to go into network and set the service order each time to flip between them.

I really need away that i can assign a specific application to use a specific connection (airport) that is active and connected while keeping the service order the same as to not mess with the system critical App that has to run through the enet. Is there any process or outside app that i could use to force other apps to use the airport connection while still leaving the Crit app using the enet?

I've been able to set the service order over to airport launch the app i want to use it and then switch back over to enet for the crit app but it seemed to work fine but that's a lot of Jank to pull each time i want to use an outside app. also i didn't really do it for any length of time so i don't know if that process would even hold up over time or flip back over to the opposite connection when it needed a fresh link

I don't have a complete solution, but a few suggestions:
First, you could setup different 'Locations' in System Preferences > Network. By creating dedicated 'locations' with a specific service order you can easily switch them from -menu>location without the need to go back into System Preferences.

The second thought would be to route your normal traffic through the wireless interface. Additionally you would then add a specific route for your critical application that goes via the Ethernet interface. Look here for suggestions. However, this will only work if your company DNS server is also reachable via the wireless interface or your application is directly using IP-addresses to make the connection. Otherwise you also need to add and maintain a host-file to resolve the internal IP-addresses.