WAN Link Load Balancing
What are people's suggestions on load balancing dual WAN links? I have a T1 and a business class DSL with different carriers. My initial research into this issue points me either towards using a router and BGP or using a link load balancer hardware device. There are ~70 users on the network. I am interested in people's opinions and experience with this type of scenario. If you have any product suggestions, I am interested too. Please comment if you need more information.
Freya28
what type of links. frame, ATM, vpn,internet?
I would suggest an additional router that has at least two wan ports. So that you can converge the two wan links. Also you would then only have to adminster one device that couls handle the load balancing. I used a sonicwall wall device to acomplish this. I was able to specify a limit on bandwidth usage for the first wan connection and have it spillover to the second connection. Certain machines however were only allowed to use one connection i.e. mail and web servers since changing the connections invalidated some of our DNS information. Also it is important to test how SSL connections behave. When utilizing the two links. The SSL can break if the workstation switches wan connections. Just something to think about. I think there are settings that cache ip connections so that they will be maintained. Someone who handles multiple wan links may be able to offer a better suggestion.
ASKER
I have a Sonicwall 2040 with enhanced OS and it has load balancing, but it does not seem to do a very smooth job, hence the search for a better solution. The links are both internet.
ASKER
@lrmoore, thanks for these links. I have spoken with the people at peplink before, but I am most interested to hear what people's experiences have been with these types of products?
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Guys, would the same assumptions and observations hold good if we are looking at load balancing WAN links that are of MPLS VPN nature , not Internet but only facilitating my Inter office connectivity across three countries.
The two WAN links are terminated in my premises on two 1800 routers that are maintained by two diffrenet ISPs. No BGP/OSPF/ GLBP there and I want to keep away from these cisco complexities.
The two WAN links are terminated in my premises on two 1800 routers that are maintained by two diffrenet ISPs. No BGP/OSPF/ GLBP there and I want to keep away from these cisco complexities.