TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: Using Two ADSL Internet Connections Simultaneously

Re: Using Two ADSL Internet Connections Simultaneously

Robert Bonomi (bonomi@host122.r-bonomni.com)
Fri, 09 Dec 2005 14:53:33 -0000

In article <telecom24.551.9@telecom-digest.org>, William Warren
<william_warren_nonoise@speakeasy.net> wrote:

> jonfklein@gmail.com wrote:

>> Here is the problem,

>> I have two telephone lines. I want to make both of these lines ADSL
>> connections to the internet and use these connections to provide
>> internet access to several wireless laptop computers. A maximum of
>> about 20 laptops would be connected to the system at once. I would
>> like the laptops to be able to use both lines simultaneously so that I
>> don't have one line overloaded and one underloaded (ie: I want to
>> balance the traffic on the lines at any given time).

>> Anyone have any suggestions on how to set up something like this?

>> -Jonathan

> Obtain a Linux server, connect each DSL line to a separate Ethernet
> card, and modify its route table to give equal weight to each line.
> You'll need a third card for your wireless AP or other LAN connections.

This approach only solves "part" of the problem, namely 'outgoing'
traffic.

"Incoming" traffic is an entirely different problem. And
load-balancing _that_ traffic cannot be done in anything approaching a
satisfactory manner without 'help' from the 'upstream' end. And it
requires that both DSL circuits terminate at the same 'upstream'
provider.

In article <telecom24.552.10@telecom-digest.org>, jonfklein@gmail.com
wrote:

> I know nothing about setting up a server, so please pardon my
> ignorance. Is there any reason why it needs to be a linux server?

No, it *doesn't*have*to*be* "Linux".

> Could it be Windows?

It _could_.

*BUT* the 'standard' routing code _in_the_kernel_ of most operating
systems does =not= support multiple equal-priority routes to the same
destination, *with* rotating use of those routes on a per-packet
basis.

Thus, you are _very_probably_ going to have to modify the relevant
pieces of the O/S kernel to accomplish this 'ping-pong' load-balancing.

Doing those modification is _much_ easier if you have the source-code
for the O/S available.

If you can get access from Microsoft, go for it. <wry grin>

> Where can I get further information about setting up a server and
> modifying the route tables?

"If you have to ask ..." about basics like that, you should _not_ be
attempting this on your own. This kind of exotic tweaking _does_ call
for a "guru". Hire a professional to explain to you what this
approach _will_ accomplish, and what it will *not* accomplish. There
are a _lot_ of things to take into consideration that have not even
been _touched_ on in this discussion, before concluding that this
approach is viable for what you "really" want to accomplish. e.g. do
you want to load-balance 'incoming' or 'outgoing' traffic, or "both"?

Also, what proportion of the total traffic will be 'incoming', and how
much will be 'outgoing'? Also _where_ will the 'far end' of the
traffic be going -- is it "anywhere on the Internet" (as in a
'Internet cafe' environment), or is it all to a _single_ place (as in
a 'remote' office, just needing connectivity back to the big computers
at 'headquarters')? Will this be TCP traffic, or UDP traffic? will
TCP 'connections' be long-lived, or very transient?

*ALL* of those things affect the nature of the 'solution' to
load-balancing traffic loads that is 'right' for _your_ situation.

> William Warren wrote:

>> jonfklein@gmail.com wrote:

>>> Here is the problem,

>>> I have two telephone lines. I want to make both of these lines ADSL
>>> connections to the internet and use these connections to provide
>>> internet access to several wireless laptop computers. A maximum of
>>> about 20 laptops would be connected to the system at once. I would
>>> like the laptops to be able to use both lines simultaneously so that I
>>> don't have one line overloaded and one underloaded (ie: I want to
>>> balance the traffic on the lines at any given time).

>>> Anyone have any suggestions on how to set up something like this?

>>> -Jonathan

>> Obtain a Linux server, connect each DSL line to a separate Ethernet
>> card, and modify its route table to give equal weight to each line.
>> You'll need a third card for your wireless AP or other LAN connections.

>> Best of luck.

>> William

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