Setup for two internet connections in case one drop

Hi guys,

I will have home office and besides ups battery that can hold my setup for few minutes in case of power loss, i need to setup two internet connections so in case one fail the other one will switch automatically

From network devices i will have tp link switch that will be connected to office pc. I also have netgear n600 router at home.

I will have one broadband conection and thinking of buying the backup LTE(wich has limit of 100gb so it cant be used at the same time as broadband because of the limits) or i can buy another broadband.

Question is how can i configure it?what should i buy to have guarantee that if my broadband fail to provide connection, the Lte will be used automatically, so my work wont stop for any moment.

I heared that there is also way to use both at th same time to have speed from both, but in this scenario i would have to use 2nd broadband instead of LTE, as 100gb limit would be used quickly.

Thanks you for your help

 

You would most likely have to buy a different router. You were not specific enough with model of the router you have so I can't check it but assuming it won't work with yours - you'd need a router with a USB port that provides enough power for a USB LTE modem and either a stock firmware that allows for that or a 3rd party firmware (like OpenWRT or DD-WRT) that can be configured for this.

See this and this to begin with.

 

This is the router i have netgear n600 wndr 3700 dual band wireless

http://uk.pcmag.com/netgear-n600-wi...ar-n600-wireless-dual-band-gigabit-router-wnd

http://www.netgear.co.uk/home/products/networking/wifi-routers/wndr3700.aspx#tab-techspecs

It has usb port

 

You should be able to do it - WNDR3700 is a good router and is supported by DD-WRT, OpenWRT and its versions like Gargoyle.
If you get around to flashing 3rd party firmware leave OpenWRT out of it - it's very hard for a beginner to get his head around it. Start with DD-WRT and move to Gargoyle if needed (it's OpenWRT under the hood anyway).

First make sure the device works as it is now but with DD-WRT and that configuration options for USB modem are present.
If so, consult the list of supported USB modems and choose one that is supported.

Don't try to make it work all at once though - first just make a move to a 3rd party firmware and make sure everything is working fine in your current setup. If it does proceed to add a modem to the mix.

 

It sounds a little bit complicated though. I heared about two possibilities where i can:

1. Connect broadband to router and on the usb port the lte modem. Set in th setup that broadband is primary and lte modem is the secondary one. Heared that if primary drop connection router will use lte modem automatically

2. Connect broadband to router and ethernet to pc. Connect pc by wifi to other network like 2nd router and that it should use ethernet connection normally, but if it drops, the wifi within 1-2 seconds shoud jump automatically

Any idea about that?

 

1. This is was I was talking about but you have to have router's firmware support LTE modem on USB port. If it doesn't (and I don't think stock firmware on WNDR3700 does that), you will need to flash a 3rd party firmware that does (like DD-WRT) and then do just that - connect broadband as it is and LTE modem to USB port.

2. This is really complicated though and probably won't work for one reason - when Internet connection drops, the LAN connection does not - so you will end up with limited connectivity icon at best but you will still be technically connected so I don't see an automatic jump being made - not unless you pull the Ethernet cable.

My recommendation was what you summed up as option 1 - it seems neater and foll-proof, so I'd go with that, but I said I don't think you can do it on this router without 3rd party firmware.

 

Thank you. That makes sense. However i managed to find one guy who got two providers and he explained it like this :

He use broadband connected to Draytek router(it has 2 wlan). Then he also got Dovado 4G Pro router with LTE modem connected to it. Now to the Draytek as said broadband is connected by one Wlan and ethernet cable from Dovado router to the 2nd Wlan. And in Draytek he sets in setup that Broadband is primary and Lte secondary provider and it turns on automatically if main one fails.

Problem with this option is that it costs a little bit

From what i understood in other place when someone said something about D-link router 116 is that i can use one that should be able to do this. I googled and Found D-Link 118 Dual Band - this is the link http://www.dlink.com/uk/en/home-sol...118-wireless-ac750-dual-band-multi-wan-router

And the options:

• Supports simultaneous 4G LTE/3G mobile Internet and fixed broadband Internet support allows you to combine Internet connections to give you faster Internet speeds.
• Supports WAN failover for an uninterrupted internet connection if your wired link fails
• Use 4G LTE/3G as your primary internet connection with wired WAN internet for redundancy, or have 4G LTE/3G as a backup for your wired connection

What i undertand it has all i need. I can set broadband as primary and LTE as secondary wich will turn on only when main one fails so it was use its Data limit at all.

This D-Link seems preety cheap too, as it cost i think only about 50GBP.

What you think about it? Is it worth to go with this D-link router? I can afford it and can sell Netgear router as i wont need it with this setup, or use it as wifi for better signal in the house

 

There are routers like D-Link that support multiple WAN connections but you still need to buy a USB modem (and a router) instead of buying just a modem and flashing free firmware on your current one.
I don't know the hardware of D-Link DWR-118 but if it's similar to DWR-116 than it's still going to be worse than your WNDR3700.
Also D-Link's firmware is rather infamous - this particular router you're thinking about had a backdoor (I can provide links to details but these are not in English).

Point being - the easiest way of doing what you're doing is certainly buying a dedicated router. Where I live this exact D-Link is offered paired with a USB modem and a SIM card by an LTE provider.
That's not necessarily the cheapest way, not will it mean that you'll end up with a better router, but certainly the easiest.

 

There is no problem with LTE Modem as i will get it free for getting LTE subscription. I get it for a year and they will provide the modem for free.

What you are saying, is that i can go for this DWR-118 Router(wich i have to buy) and i will have what i am looking for, BUT if i take the option to install DD-WRT firmare into my WNDR3700 router i will get exactly same thing, but with better router?

From the specs i am reading there is nothing written about WNDR3700 possibility of using LTE modems. That USB port is only for some FTP crap or something. I thought that by installing DD-WRT firmware i will be able to set those options for primary and backup providers but are you sure that i will be able to connect LTE modem to it and it will work same as it will with this Dwr-118?

 

It should work with DD-WRT and your router. I can't say it will for sure because I don't know what sort of modem will you get (a lot of modems are supported, but not all of them) and I don't have a WNDR3700 to test it.
Still it doesn't seem to be a problem - just start by trying to set it up with your WNDR3700 and the LTE modem you get. If it doesn't work you'll end up buying a DWR-118 anyway.

Unless you are really not into this sort of thing or you are way to busy to waste time to save 50 GBP, in which case you might as well go straight to a DWR-118 or something similar (and immediately update the firmware to get rid of that backdoor).

I would start with WNDR3700 (which is a very good router to begin with) but I do like these sort of things - I realize that I'm not normal though

 

Thats fair enough. I will try to install this DD-WRT on my WNDR3700 router although i have no idea how to do it

In case i fail, would you reccomend any other router that has those DWR-118 options but is simply way better? Doesnt look like this d-link is the one i want to get from what you were saying

 

What is weird though, that my friend who has this setup use Dovado 4g Pro wich looks like the best in this area(way better than dwr-118), but he said he wasnt able to connect it like it that, so he bought draytek vigor with 2 wlan as i described earlier and using both. Draytek Vigor to broadband and dovado to lte modem(that is connected to draytek too)

I dont see much sense with it as this dovado one should be enough alone and should be able to switch the connection

BY the way : http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Mobile_Broadband#Supported_Platforms

According to this list DD-wrt should support my lte modem wich will be huawei e3372

 

I think it should work with just one device as well.

As for DD-WRT- there are 4 hardware versions of WNDR3700 - check which one you have and only then flash the firmware for appropriate version. The only other really important and rather obvious thing - do nor flash firmware over Wi-Fi. connect the computer via an Ethernet cable before doing so.

 

It wont cost me anything to try it out . If i screw something over will i be able to reset Netgear router back to the default settings ?

As a plan B, what router would you support to get in case i fail with DD-WRT? Draytek Vigor looks really good, a little bit pricey, but i will use it for business not for fun so if it gives me best stability and safety i would be willing to pay for it. Problem is i havent seen Huawei model E3372 compability on the site, and this is the modem provided by my LTE networks

Maybe there are other good options? 2nd one i will consider is asus ac55u or sth like this but most expensive

 

You will be able to get back to Netgear firmware from DD-WRT but it will not be as easy as reseting the router do default settings. You'd have to flash Netgear firmware again (sometimes special files id provided for that purpose on DD-WRT website).

I went thought the list of routers that are capable of doing what you want straight out of the box and having eliminated those that are ridiculously expensive, those that are poor, mobile ones and those that either have general problems or problems with your particular modem I ended up with a grand total of... nothing.

I kid you not - D-Link, TP-Link, Netgear, Asus, Huawei, Fritz! and ZyXel and nothing or nothing good.

 

Unbelievable. Why in 2016 this is so complicated? I really appreciate your help. This forum is amazing. May i ask you one more thing and what would you chose from this options(not mentioning dd-wdr here on netgear)

1. https://www.asus.com/Networking/4G-AC55U/ This is the model that honestly looks like can do best job. It even have installed 4g modem in it so i think i can just put sim and it will create a backup failover to the main broadband line. You see any minuses? Price is about 250 USD

2. http://www.draytek.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=5268:vigor2912&Itemid=660&lang=en . It doesnt have gigabit i think wich is a shame and i am not sure if it wont limit my transfer if i have 250mb/s on broadband. Good think is that it is used by my friend so he can help with configuring it, but as i said my LTE providers give Huawaei e3372 modem and from what i see its not supported by draytek. I would have to take also D-link 116 for free from the provider set Lte modem there and connect ethernet to the 2nd Wlan in Draytek. In draytek i would set broadband as primary and 2nd wlan from d-116 as secondary. D-link 116 as you said is crap so thats not best solution but because LTE modem would be used only as a backup so probably(few times a year for few minutes?) it could be enough. + is surely easier way to setup as my friend have connection like this. Cost for Draytek is about 160 USD

And thats it i think. I read somehwere that netgear 3700 even with dd-wdr firmare wont be probably able to use Lte modem so i wont be able to connect it like in those two options above

What do you think about this two models then? have you checked them also when you said that all is crap ? Thanks!

 

ASUS is fine - I eliminated it though, because it's damn expensive. I mean $250, seriously?

Can you get D-Link DWR-116 for free? If you can - take it. It's going to do the same thing we wanted to do from the very beginning. It actually has a WAN Failower setting so it will switch from broadband to LTE.
Sure it's not a good router but if you can get it for free, you should. You'll install it and see for yourself - if it does a decent job - great, if it doesn't you can still play with WNDR3700 and if everything fails, then you'll look into a $250 router...

 

I know its a lot but it seems there is no other option than those two.

Yes, from what i see with my subscription on LTE i can get DWR-116 for free. The problem is i read that people have problems with disconnections and that overal this router is pretty crappy. Fine for home using but not reliable when it comes to business. I am operating on financial markets so i cant have disconnections while working Thats why i am looking for the internet backup so that LTE can come in quckly in those single situations where broadband fails for few minutes.

What i am worried is, that with Dwr-116 i could have a lot if problems just with router, because its not for business related things. While at home for home user it might be enough, i dont think from what you wrote and what i read from the reviews that it can guarantee the reliability i am looking for. If that makes sense of course

 

If it's a business decision that will pay for itself so to speak, I'd rather spend a whooping $250 on an Asus than have a overly complicated setup with two routers.
Anyway - it's a total mess. The more I look into this the more I'm displeased with what's on offer.

 

I'd bought some mini-PC instead. Cheaper, more flexible, unlike routers almost impossible to mess up. $250 (or $160) for a dumb low-spec box is beyond my understanding.

 

Not quite sure how other mini-pc could work and dont think it would solve anything. But one more question. Looking for this routers with 4g i found two more wich are less expensive than the asus ac55u and offer same option but both without Gigabit.

I understand(correct me if i am wrong please) that Gigabit only refer for transfer between local computers. Wich is really not important for me at home really. Also i can use netgear 3700 also if i want ot have a fast transfer for streaming between laptop and tv for watching movies for example.

D-Link DWR-921 - http://www.dlink.com/uk/en/support/product/dwr-921-4g-lte-router

Asus 4g-N12 https://www.asus.com/uk/Networking/4GN12/

How are this two in compare to that Ac55u? both are at 50% price of the Ac55u.

And lets remember that this LTE option is only backup for me. I will use broadband on regular basis

 

Asus 4g-n12 it is still quite expensive for what it offers. Inside you'll find a 500MHz SoC and 64MB RAM, Wi-Fi only works at 2.4GHz and even the switch supports only 100mbps. So as a router your WNDR3700 is actually better in every respect (apart from RAM which is a draw).

Yet the price is not the the biggest problem - I read a review written in the middle of 2015 and the reviewer pointed out that there is no dual WAN support - it's either or - it does not switch automatically between connections. I also looked in the user manual and found nothing at all about it (although it has not been updated since its initial release).
And I looked through all of the release notes for firmwares for this router and found no indication this feature has been added.

I did not look at the D-Link though - it's a D-Link. And yes- off course it had a backdoor as well (translated article here)

 

That article is actually in my main language so could read it without translation,thx No D-Link for me then.

I'll go for the Ac55u. i'd never thought i would buy such expensive router and within first days i will make a lot of tests just to see if it works properly for that price. That the failover option will work fast and switch wont cause any problems to my work(read. disconnections because it would take too much time to switch from one source to another)

Takind in mind i also have to buy Cyberpower Ups battery, both things will cost me about 550 USD...

And what i figured out is that while having Netgear 3700 i will be paying 250 USD more, ONLY to have that Lte backup option and wich could be in use for 5-10 times a year for total of about 15-20 minutes, when suddenly my main broadband lose connection for a moment.

I really thought it would be quick and easy and that there are a lot of solutions for people that want to have internet back up for home office

 

Let's check once more if AC55u actually has this multi-WAN support because if Asus website is as truthful about it as it was about 4G-N12, you might be in for a nasty surprise.

But first a coffee

EDIT: AC55U actually supports multi WAN with switching between them.

 

Yeah ac55u is the one i will get

One last question i hope. When i looked for failover time in ac55u i also found this

Dsl-N55u , there are two versions - annex a and b

https://www.asus.com/Networking/DSLN55U_Annex_B/

I probably miss something. But doesnt this one have what it need? Lte would be connected by huawaei modem instead of sim like in ac55u. But its no issue i guess. Price is also way better. 100 usd

 

I also see that one of my providers add huawei b315 router for free on a contract so i could actually use it with another multi wan router like draytek so total cost would be smaller as i would pay only 160 usd for draytek instead of 250 for asus

Heared its reliable and quite good

 

User manual for Asus DSL-N55u is rubbish - it's from 2012 and there is nothing about this functionality in it, but screenshots on the internet indicate that it is on fact there.
Annex A and B are related to ADSL connection - A is for POTS and B is for digital lines. Depending on where you live you will have one or another.
Or neither if you don't use an ADSL connection but a cable one.

 

I would use This https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/UPC_Polska

I aleo read that adsl lines got limits at 8mb/s?

I guess its not Adsl but cable, as i will have 250mb/s if i understand this correctly so that router wont even work for me right ?

And i would leave only last two options to consider

 

Using UPC means you would be sing cable, not ADSL. Because the user manual is so old there is no information on of it can work as a router with RJ-45 cable connected to one of the LAN ports but again screenshots on the internet suggest it can.
I've seen it set up as main WAN being ADSL and backup being LAN port 1 - I don't know if you can set it up so that main is LAN port 1 and backup is USB LTE - I see no reason why that shouldn't be possible but there is no documentation so it's pure guesswork.

 

Thank you mate for all your help. I decided to go with this Asus 4g-Ac55u. I will buy it at the end of the month and will quickly test if failover/failback option works as it should be.

 

One more thing that i believe is a little bit joke with this asus, is that it has only one wlan port. So in case in the future i want to use two different cable providers instead of lte.. I wont be able to. Why the hell they couldnt add it in 250$ price model? Wouldnt make any difference

Unless i miss it and its there, but i really dont think so

 

Its me again. I've asked Asus support how the failover works with this model and they told me that they cant guarantee quick switch and it can take from few seconds to few minutes...

If thats the case why would i have to pay 250$ for something i'll wont nearly use. I pay for built in modem for 4g but its only backup so i think i can find better solutions if i'have to wait 10-20-30 seconds for a switch anyway. Its still the easiest option but not the smartest one i'm sure.

I read a little bit more for the past days and this is what i'm left with and will take one of this options so i would be grateful for help. The option with Netgear and 3rd firmware is still a question mark as i am not 100% sure i can set Dual Wan there, but if its possible i can get D-Link DWR 116 with Huawaei e3372 modem/ Huawaei b315 router or ZTE MF283 + LTE for free from LTE provider.

I undersand that with this option i get LTE modem on one of those routers, i will have dual wan on Netgear through 3rd party firmware, i set my cable as main source and 2nd Wan as the backup. Can it work like this? How will it look with failover time?

Or

I can buy different router from ASUS like RT-AC3200/ RT-AC87U or RT-AC56U. All i think have support for 4g modems, and Dual Wan also, so i can either connect Modem as 4g Backup or use one of those routers listed above that i will get for free, connect it with ethernet to 2nd WAN in Asus routet and that should work

Question is wich can work better and how will it look with failover times in this setups. Is there any difference if failover use LTE Modem or 2nd WAN from the router with LTE modem?