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    Plug 2 internet providers into 1 computer?

    Discussion in 'Networking and Wireless' started by KonstantinDK, Apr 1, 2011.

  1. KonstantinDK

    KonstantinDK Notebook Evangelist

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    :cool: I got a good 1 for you guys.
    Is it possible to utilise the bandwidth from 2 internet providers at the same time?
    The internet comes into the house as ethernet cables (RJ45).

    I got few possible solutions, but not sure if they will work properly.
    TRENDnet | Products | Wired Routers | TW100-BRV324
    or Sisco Performance Routing devises (which must be expensive)
    or these 2, wich was advise to me by 1 guy I know http://routerboard.com/pricelist.php?showProduct=56
    http://www.draytek.co.uk/products/vigor2920.html
    I think windows server and linux can do this, but I'm using Windows 7 Ultimate. And I don't want to get another PC for this, cause don't want another big box in my room.

    So, my understanding is 3 things are possible
    1) Super smart router
    2) Super smart ethernet card or motherboard
    3) Super smart programm installed on computer, which is gonna eat CPU to do this...

    What your advice?

    P.S. I mainly need the speed bost for torrenting. The torretn program need to utilise both internets.
    P.P.S. I also don't want to disrupt the work of my other programs such as browser ( buying stuff with SSL), email client, skype, FTP client etc. I also do lots of gaming, so ping is important. I'm afraid 2 diferent IPs can mess it up... :(
    P.P.P.S. I'm advanced user and can take time to set it up. I just don't want it to be a heaache to turn my internet ON every morning...
    P.P.P.P.S. The internet speed from each provider is no more then 15 Mbps (Yeah, it suck to live where I am)
    Also, I would like to fit under 200$
     
  2. ViciousXUSMC

    ViciousXUSMC Master Viking NBR Reviewer

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    its called a load balancer.

    I use one at work, dont think they are cheap though.
     
  3. newsposter

    newsposter Notebook Virtuoso

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    'coupling' network connections is NOT load balancing, it's teaming.

    You need your ISP to cooperate on setting up teaming. Hard/impossible to do it 'secretly'.

    Otherwise the OP is going to have to find a torrent program that can pull in streams from multiple IP paths. And of course the OP is still going to have to find a way to get his desktop OS to come active on multiple adapters at the same time.
     
  4. Sxooter

    Sxooter Notebook Virtuoso

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    You can build one REAL easy with an ubuntu box and arno-iptables
     
  5. KonstantinDK

    KonstantinDK Notebook Evangelist

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    You mean a small computer with installed ubuntu?
    Well, it's gonna cost right under 300$, and I can buy a router for that money that will take less space and make less noise... So, yeah, I heard linux can do that, but...
     
  6. ViciousXUSMC

    ViciousXUSMC Master Viking NBR Reviewer

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    We use fiber optic from Verizon and T1 from AT&T at work on a Radware load balancer.

    We get the speed of both networks together without voiding the contract we have with AT&T and nobody is teaming up or partnering.
     
  7. yameritzu

    yameritzu Notebook Enthusiast

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    Wow that is pretty awesome. Is your main reason for more bandwidth or 100% uptime?
     
  8. ViciousXUSMC

    ViciousXUSMC Master Viking NBR Reviewer

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    More bandwidth T1 is not fast enough to my standards but we have a required contract with AT&T so it was the only way.
     
  9. newsposter

    newsposter Notebook Virtuoso

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    A radware aggregator that costs $5k to buy and 20% of that for yearly maintenance/licensing isn't much of a home user solution.
     
  10. zhaden

    zhaden Notebook Consultant

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    To sum things up for the OP, no, not really - this is not a viable solution for more throughput.

    Even Vicious's solution, while potentially useful for large amounts of data transfer, isn't a truly bound connection (that T1 isn't doing too much, though - 1.5Mbps on a Radware would have a very high metric. Probably only used by static routes).

    With current network providers, there is no reason to bond or EtherChannel your WAN connection. Especially in the US, as bandwidth is relatively expensive, and the physical connection the provider gives you is generally capable of speeds much greater than the amount of bandwidth purchased. As a for instance, the cable modem you probably already have can probably reach speeds nearing 100Mbps; it's just a matter of purchasing that amount of throughput from the provider.

    EtherChannel, bonded connections, etc are generally applications reserved for LAN interfaces. Our servers have 8 network interfaces, total, but they are bonded for a total of 4000Mbps of throughput per server (so, two actual IP addresses per 8 connections). Requires jumbo frames. This type of technology is only useful inside the network - I still have only one CAT6 to the ASA for that particular WAN connection. This is on an enterprise network.

    If you wanted to do it, regardless, just because it would be easier on your wallet or you wanted to team up with a neighbor and utilize their connection, to appropriately load balance - you would still need to be assigned one, singular IP address and allow a software firewall to do the balancing for you (as previously mentioned, iptables is the way to go - lots of documentation available out there). Otherwise the computer itself will simply build two separate routing tables, and although some of each connection may be utilized, it would not actually be load balanced or see much benefit outside the chance occurring that one connection or the other is better for the currently established end-to-end.