Merging bandwidth

thanhit89

Hello,

I'm running 2.4.2-RELEASE version. I have 2 WAN with 100Mbps per WAN. I created gateway group with same tier for them. But when I test with speedtest.com the result is just 100MB instead of 200MB.

What would I do?

Thank you!

sgtr

Hi,

Did you install squid?

Regards,
SGTR

thanhit89

@SGTR:

Hi,

Did you install squid?

Regards,
SGTR

Hi,

I did.

Regards,

NogBadTheBad

@thanhit89:

Hello,

I'm running 2.4.2-RELEASE version. I have 2 WAN with 100Mbps per WAN. I created gateway group with same tier for them. But when I test with speedtest.com the result is just 100MB instead of 200MB.

What would I do?

Thank you!

It would just talk over one of the interlinks, what makes you think you get double the bandwidth.

chpalmer

In order to combine you would have to use something like MLPPP if a pppoe connection.. Or some sort of VPN Bonding can be done on equipment built for it..

In your case here you can set up to basically load balance across the connections but you will never see a single download of both connections.

Try the dslreports speed test. http://www.dslreports.com/speedtest

Javik

It appears pfSense can itself provide MLPPP, so what you need to do, is set up a second pfSense away from you "in the cloud" on the Internet. You do not need to ask your ISP to do something special to make this work, you can instead do it yourself without them.

I am not an expert here, but if I am reading this right, your data can then use multiple different outgoing connections for a combined faster overall speed, even through completely different ISPs and technologies (DSL/cable/cellular) which are then combined and parallelized on the far end by pfSense.

For latency purposes, you will want to pick a cloud hosting provider that is somewhat near the peering endpoint(s) for these ISPs (the geographical location where their business network joins a backbone to talk to everyone else on the Internet) so that you do not incur additional signalling delays of data having to leave the ISP, head across the planet to a hosted pfSense located far away, and then to the actual final destination.

I am looking into trying to set up something like this to merge multiple rural cruddy 1.5 meg DSL connections for a combined overall shared bandwidth boost.

chpalmer

@Javik:

It appears pfSense can itself provide MLPPP, so what you need to do, is set up a second pfSense away from you "in the cloud" on the Internet. You do not need to ask your ISP to do something special to make this work, you can instead do it yourself without them.

I am looking into trying to set up something like this to merge multiple rural cruddy 1.5 meg DSL connections for a combined overall shared bandwidth boost.

I do not believe that pfsense will do a Server MLPPP. I believe just the client. Would be great if it could..

I talked to my ISP at the time when I did it and they took on a little learning and made it happen here so even if your local ISP (many in Canada already do) doesn't now they might give it a go if asked and worked with.

Olypen.com was my ISP at the time..

Yes- MLPPP is one WAN using anywhere up to 6 (I believe) connections.

Javik

I am still looking around for ways to make MLPPP work with a router on the far end "in the cloud", whether with pfSense or some other Linux implementation.

pfSense includes a FreeBSD package called MPD, or "Multi-link PPP daemon for FreeBSD"

Project documentation: http://mpd.sourceforge.net/

,

On this page it says: "Depending on configuration and connection parameters mpd can operate as usual PPP client or server, or even forward connection unmodified to other host using any supported link type, providing LAC/PAC/TSA functionality for building distributed large scale access networks."

So… pfSense should be capable of functioning as an MLPPP server.

,

From the MPD configuration examples: https://github.com/vstakhov/mpd/blob/master/conf/mpd.conf.sample

pppoe_server:
#
# Multihomed multilink PPPoE server
#

# Create clonable bundle template
	create bundle template B
# Set IP addresses. Peer address will be later replaced by RADIUS.
	set ipcp ranges 192.168.0.1/32 127.0.0.2/32

# Create link template with common info
	create link template common pppoe
# Enable multilink protocol
	set link enable multilink
# Set bundle template to use
	set link action bundle B
# Enable peer authentication
	set link disable chap pap eap
	set link enable pap
	load radius
	set pppoe service "superisp"

# Create templates for ifaces to listen using 'common' template and let them go
	create link template fxp0 common
	set link max-children 1000
	set pppoe iface fxp0
	set link enable incoming

	create link template fxp1 common
	set link max-children 500
	set pppoe iface fxp1
	set link enable incoming

Apparently to test this, I will need to build a test bench. Set up two spare desktop computers running pfSense, install a bunch of NICs, connect the two together with multiple network cables forced at 10 megabit, and see if MPD can be set up to combine them.

chpalmer

@Javik:

Apparently to test this, I will need to build a test bench. Set up two spare desktop computers running pfSense, install a bunch of NICs, connect the two together with multiple network cables forced at 10 megabit, and see if MPD can be set up to combine them.

That would be absolutely awesome if it could!

Ive got two 5 NIC boxes sitting here doing nothing right now other than some RIP and OSPF testing for an upcoming project.. I will see if I can do the same and test this..