Can two Broadband services be used on one network?

[tuprox]

I'm basically asking if it is possible to to have 2 modems, 2 Internet accounts and link them so the LAN can use the speed of both networks at one time?

I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't be able to download 1 file across two connections but if I was doing something like web hosting or downloading a lot of P2P (torrent) files could I do this with a few routers and 2 internet connections?

 

[imagoon]

With 2 separate service you can use both in a load balanced config but you will never exceed the performance of 1 line per 1 connection. If you had 2 connections that were bonded you can get the combined rate.

You would need a dual wan router or some other device that can handle writing rules to determine which traffic goes to which line. Bittorrent can handle multiple WAN links and would get closer to using both lines. Just general web browsing would have no effect.

 

[ericloewe]

There are a couple of options: Most network hardware makers (D-Link, Cisco, TP-Link, to name a few) have multi-WAN routers, but I have never used one.

Then there's custom firmware (DD-WRT, Open-WRT, Tomato) for your router. You may be able to set up a load balancing scheme, depending on the router and firmware...

Finally, there's the extra complicated option: pfSense (http://pfsense.org/) - a FreeBSD distro that does pretty much anything. You will need a dedicated computer for it, though (low-end desktop processor with 1 or 2 GB of RAM, small hard drive and supported network cards).

 

[JackMDS]

You can try to set two independent Networks (not same subnet)with two Modem and Routers and atleast two computers.

Put a second NIC in one of the computers and bridge the Networks.

You can do what ever you want with each Network and exchange info between the Networks via the bridge.

Otherwise, http://www.ezlan.net/loadbalance.html

 

[tuprox]

You can try to set two independent Networks (not same subnet)with two Modem and Routers and atleast two computers.

Put a second NIC in one of the computers and bridge the Networks.

You can do what ever you want with each Network and exchange info between the Networks via the bridge.

Otherwise, http://www.ezlan.net/loadbalance.html

Thanks for all the replies!

I am setting up a LinuX router and I figured that I could have 2 NICS as the WAN's and a single NIC going to the switch. I'm going to have 2 ISP connections for a little while due to an overlap of services when I have a my FiOS/FTTH installed. I just want to set it up to get the experience and I want to see how well it works. This is something that I have always wanted to do and it sounds like fun!

 

[Lithium381]

There are ways to distribute the load accross them, including modifying the routing tables, so the first half of class A networks go over ISPA and the second half go over ISPB, same for class b and c networks...... not perfect but without running BGP you'd have to have some form of "logic" built in to your linux device to figure out which way to go

 

[imagoon]

Yeah but he is not going to doing BGP without an AS, ARIN assigned IP block and 2 ISPs that are willing to let him inject BGP routes to their routers. He won't get that with 2 ~$80 / month ISP's.

The best you can do is load balance based on load with some "stickiness" for the protocols that go bonkers when the IP changes such as VPNs.

 

[JackMDS]

The news media with their need to produce news 24/7 got us into a mode that we think that any combination of words that sound syntactically correct creates reality and can define the lows of Nature/Physics.

Yeah two feeds of DialUp Modem or DSL can be "stiched" togather provided that the ISP syncronize the two signal at source.

There is some ISPs provided this service to customers that could not get anything fast otherwise.

Example - http://www.worldspice.net/services/diverselink.html

 

[imagoon]

The news media with their need to produce news 24/7 got us into a mode that we think that any combination of words that sound syntactically correct creates reality and can define the lows of Nature/Physics.

Yeah two feeds of DialUp Modem or DSL can be "stiched" togather provided that the ISP syncronize the two signal at source.

There is some ISPs provided this service to customers that could not get anything fast otherwise.

Example - http://www.worldspice.net/services/diverselink.html

True but a PPP bonded link still needs to terminate someplace where it can use the "full speed." So in their example you have to buy 2 lines, PPP bonded linked over them to that services some place and then hit the net. Basically you are getting bonded by using to lines to connect to a remote service that is more or less proxying the service. That adds more cost and more points of failure IMO.

 

[JackMDS]

That adds more cost and more points of failure IMO.

Sure it does.

That is why this type of services are currently rare providing solutions in some "none standard" cases where other solution is Not plausible.

 

[Lithium381]

Yeah but he is not going to doing BGP without an AS, ARIN assigned IP block and 2 ISPs that are willing to let him inject BGP routes to their routers. He won't get that with 2 ~$80 / month ISP's.

The best you can do is load balance based on load with some "stickiness" for the protocols that go bonkers when the IP changes such as VPNs.

that was my main point, BGP would have been his best bet, but given that it's really not an option, he'll have to try to control the routing himself in some arbitrary fashion for now and then tweak it to balance.