The default gateway is the intermediate network node on the local network that has knowledge of the network IDs of other networks in the internetwork. When a workstation sends data, the default gateway can forward the packets to other gateways until the data is eventually delivered to its final destination. Gateways are usually dedicated computers called routers.
TCP/IP workstations can each be configured only for one default gateway. This poses an interesting situation for remote workstations that are also connected to a LAN. For example, a workstation at a branch office dials into the corporate network, while it is still connected to the branch office network. This type of a workstation is referred to as a multihomed workstation.
When a multihomed remote Windows NT 3.5 workstation attempts to access a particular IP address, the destination server is located using the following process:
If a default gateway IP address was previously configured for the LAN adapter, it is ignored by default. If required, the remote workstation can be configured so that the default gateway on the LAN adapter is used instead of the default gateway on the remote link.