Question Is there a way to automatically switch to another ISP without a multi-WAN router?

[Battousai01]

Hi guys, we have a situation in our house outside the city where the internet connection is not very stable and we have IP security cameras that rely on the internet.

We understand that the internet connection in our location is not good so we subscribed to two ISPs.

Our setup is as follow:

1. We have two internet service providers (one primary which is a fiber connection and a backup which is a 4G/5G mobile connection)
2. We only have one wireless router where the security cameras are connected
3. We have IP based security cameras that rely on the internet/cloud to be able to transmit footage, these security camera are designed to connect to one connection and no cascading function in case the internet connection goes down

I would like to know is there a way to automatically switch to the other internet connection in case the primary connection goes down? I know this can be done using a "multi-WAN" router but we do not have a multi-WAN router.

One option I can think of is to use a smart phone and use the smart phone as the access point of the security cameras. The smart phone then connects to both the primary connection and the back-up so that when the primary connection goes down, the smart phone automatically switches to the backup connection.

Also, regarding the router, the router has a WAN port where ethernet cable from the ISP's modem is connected, it also has a wireless bridge function (i.e. universal repeater, access point or WISP which can be connected to the backup connection). Is it possible to automatically switch it to WAN or the wireless bridge function in case one of the connection goes down?

Thank you in advance for any replies.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I know this can be done using a "multi-WAN" router but we do not have a multi-WAN router.

That's literally the feature that you need. Can you drive a car without an accelerator pedal? Stop being obtuse.

 

[JackMDS]

https://www.arubanetworks.com/faq/what-is-sd-wan/

 

[VirtualLarry]

https://www.arubanetworks.com/faq/what-is-sd-wan/

"SD-WAN is a pivotal digital transformation enabler and is driving strategic decisions across the enterprise. "

Right-o, that's what he needs Jack, something to "drive strategic decisions".

Or he could pick up an Asus router for $150 that supports Multi-Wan (failover), including USB 3G/4G dongles.

 

[VirtualLarry]

we have a situation in our house

 

[VirtualLarry]

Or get a Tenda AC18, or a AC68U-family router, and put on FreshTomato. (If even remotely adventurous.)

 

[mxnerd]

You definitely need dual WAN or multi WAN router.

another option:

Amazon.com

One WAN port wire to fiber , another WAN port wire to WiFi extender --> wireless --> 4G/5G modem with hotspot or smartphone hotspot

 

[JackMDS]

we do not have a multi-WAN router.

Right-o, that's what he needs Jack, something to "drive strategic decisions".

Relax Larry, there is more to live than buying Inexpensive Hadware in "Silly" Stores.

The OP posting Smell strongly from the hidden message that he/she does not want, or can, buying inexpensive Dual WAN Router.

You can bet that he/she already checked the prices of such hardware in their country.

I did Not wanted to be Rude and offer less expensive solution that might result to this.



So... instead I offered a little "Higher education" in this matter.

 

[mxnerd]

If OP can afford fiber, there is no reason he can't afford cheap dual wan router.

 

[mv2devnull]

Can apparently afford two connections: "a fiber and a 4G/5G mobile". Furthermore, if both are operational, then both are already connected to some device(s).

In theory, client devices could have weighted "nexthop" route that has both routers, but it is definitely more convenient and feasible to have the multiwan setup in one and only router.

 

[Battousai01]

Thanks guys for the suggestions I appreciate it.

I will consider looking into getting a multi-WAN router. In the meantime, I have read that multi-WAN routers do "load-balancing" and not really switching to another connection when one goes down entirely.

Preferably switching to the backup connection temporarily is what we need rather than doing load balancing and then going back to that primary connection when it is back up.

Actually, I was thinking about that option I thought about where you will use an old smart phone to do the switching, with it there is also an interface where I can access it (via Teamviewer or any remote control app) and see what connection went down and conduct some other testing.

 

[mxnerd]

Failover feature is included in TP-Link ER605

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=+tp-link+er605

 

[aigomorla]

Thanks guys for the suggestions I appreciate it.

I will consider looking into getting a multi-WAN router. In the meantime, I have read that multi-WAN routers do "load-balancing" and not really switching to another connection when one goes down entirely.

Preferably switching to the backup connection temporarily is what we need rather than doing load balancing and then going back to that primary connection when it is back up.

Actually, I was thinking about that option I thought about where you will use an old smart phone to do the switching, with it there is also an interface where I can access it (via Teamviewer or any remote control app) and see what connection went down and conduct some other testing.

would like to note... dual wan load balancing routers can cause hell on SSL and cause HTTPS pages not to load correctly unless you designate it in settings to not load balance SSL sites.

So make sure you do some research on them, they are not plug and play consumer grade stuff, and will need tuning.

 

[KentState]

Another option is a basic PC with a multi-port NIC and run something like pfsense. It handles multi wan failover outright.

 

[Fallen Kell]

Another option is a basic PC with a multi-port NIC and run something like pfsense. It handles multi wan failover outright.

I was going to suggest this very idea. My home edge/gateway router is a Dell Optiplex 9020 SFF PC running Pfsense. Just add a supported 2 port NIC (such as an Intel i350). You can find the 9020 SFF systems used/recertified on Amazon or Ebay for between $150 and $300 (depending on the internals such as an i5 or i7 CPU, and 4 - 16GB of RAM). I would get one with at least 8GB of RAM, and just make sure the CPU supports AES-NI (mine is a i7-4790 with 16GB RAM that I found for ~$200. It had no hard drive and no Win10 license, but I just popped in a small SSD I had sitting around).

Heck, here is an amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Dell-OptiPlex-9020-SFF-i5-4570-Windows/dp/B07TB9G2R6

You can probably save another $50 somewhere else if you can get it without the Win 10 license, but otherwise that system should be more than capable. It should support a 1/2 height PCI-E 3.0 x16 network card. I'm not sure how your 4G/5G network works (i.e. they have a base station that provides an ethernet connection?), but if it does, then adding a 2 port i350 network card will do what you need. Connect the port on the motherboard to your internal network, and connect one port on the 2 port NIC to one ISP and the other port to the other ISP. Then install Pfsense and configure dual wan failover (and in your case, setup the gateways on two different tiers, such that the NIC port connected to the fibre network is "tier 1" and the port connected to the 4G/5G network is "tier 2", and as such, routing will send the traffic to the highest available tier gateway that is active, so if the fibre network is up and working, it will send the traffic out that gateway and nothing will go out the 4G/5G network, unless the fibre network is down):