Curse

BlueNovember · Jan 30, 2008, 09:47 PM // 21:47

Probably not the best place to ask this, but I don't happen to be a member of any more appropriate boards. (Can someone recommend one?)
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For various reasons I have two NTL Cable broadband connections and 1 Tiscali (ugh) ADSL connection.
(Not to mention 5 unsecure/wep wireless networks courtesy of neighbours, but let's not go there. :\)

I'd like to either have 2 connections dedicated to one local network server for the internet services it's running (ftp, torrents, etc) or simply load balance the whole network across the 3 connections.

Ignoring the geography of the building, (which is "annoying" at best) the setup is;
5 people using wired/wireless connected to a Netgear WPNT834 router+4 port switch. This is currently the only DHCP server.
1 WindowsXP/Ubuntu server, with two NICs. 1 Unused.
Router is connected to the internet via one of the NTL lines.

I have 2 spare low-grade routers but no spare nics. All lines have spare modems that would work with them.

--
A solution that should work in theory is buying another nic for the server, connecting the 2 unused connections to that, and using the dos ROUTE command to set the metrics of these 2 connections such that traffic is sent over them rather than to the router (dhcp server) and the line everyone else is using.
...However I evidently fail at syntax and can't get it to work.

There's a few linux solutions I've looked at, but current use of the server means when I boot it into ubuntu... well, flatmates get confused. As such I'd rather avoid this for now, if possible.

Thanks in advance for any help any can provide. Requests for information/redirects to better sites also welcomed.

--Blue.

Nanood · Jan 30, 2008, 10:11 PM // 22:11

There are some low cost solutions to multple internet connections into a single residence (I think that's what your after). I have two DSL connections at my house. 1 8mb line and 1 20mb line. I have two DSL modems (same brand is easier) into a Linksys RV082 Dual Wan eight port router. That router feeds out to 2 8 port gigabit switches and a wireless access point and from there to 6 pc's and a laptop and xbox 360 on wireless. The RV082 does all the load balancing work for you in a basic but quite effective way. For a larger number of incoming lines you may want to look at the Lynksys RV016 which can handle up to 7 (I think) internet lines and do all the balancing work for you. Worth a look. Has been an extremely reliable unit.

here's a link to the RV016

http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satel...=3310254480B01

Tarun · Jan 30, 2008, 10:27 PM // 22:27

Look into QoS.

The Linksys WRT54GL with Tomato Firmware handles this nicely.

BlueNovember · Feb 01, 2008, 12:13 PM // 12:13

Thanks for your replies guys.
I'm considering just buying a 3rd NIC for server and using load-balancing s/w for it / buying the aforementioned multi-WAN router.

Tomato firmware for that router looks awesome, but I'd still need to have some means to integrate the other net connections. Still, something to look into when I do replace existing router.

Thanks again.

Edit: Gabe's review (http://www.amazon.com/Linksys-RV016-.../dp/B0001XU8BW) was enough to disuade me from the RV016.
RV082 seems to only be available £200 :'(.
Can't even find a price for http://www.peplink.com/products/balance-30/. ...
/resign.
*fiddles*

Snograt · Feb 01, 2008, 03:51 PM // 15:51

Yeah, can't access the Peplink secure pages from the UK, but it shows up on a google search - $495. God knows how you would order one, though.

Ec]-[oMaN · Feb 01, 2008, 06:21 PM // 18:21

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MLPPP#Multilink_PPP

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r191...ne-connection-

I think most DSL at this point can't be bonded or the companies don't offer it, cable can be bonded/load balancing...