Cloud based MLPPP over DSL PPP? hmmm…
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I am still trying to figure out how to do roll-your-own multilink PPP with your own MLPPP server in the cloud.
If a DSL modem is how pfSense gets out to the Internet, this appears to add an additional layer of complexity. A DSL modem needs to establish a PPP login to the ISP before the router can access the Internet.
If a cloud based MLPPP server is used with DSL, then the MLPPP will need to pass "through" the DSL PPP. I have no clue how this affects packet overhead, though probably not much since the MLPPP will be normal IP packets like any other data the DSL modem carries.
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Also I have no idea if there is a way to do this with a single pfSense router. It seems like there may need to be two physically separate routers to hold the two different PPP connection configurations and send one through the other.
Though, using VMWare/KVM/HyperV, these two routers can be virtualized on one computer, and network data passed from one to the other through a virtual VLAN switch that has no physical ports/cables.
Bridged DSL modem -> pfSense using ISP's PPP -> No NAT LAN 192.168.100.1 -> virtual switch, VLAN 2 -> 192.168.100.2 WAN -> pfSense using my MLPPP cloud router -> NAT LAN (192.168.0.0/24)
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Physical Interface: "WAN2DSL_1" - used for bridged DSL modem #1 with PPP config
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Virtual Interface: "DSL2LAN_1" - assign to VLAN 2, gateway is "WAN2DSL_1"
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Physical Interface: "WAN2DSL_2" - used for bridged DSL modem #2 with PPP config
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Virtual Interface: "DSL2LAN_2" - assign to VLAN 2, gateway is "WAN2DSL_2"
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Physical Interface: "WAN2DSL_3" - used for bridged DSL modem #3 with PPP config
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Virtual Interface: "DSL2LAN_3" - assign to VLAN 2, gateway is "WAN2DSL_3"
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Virtual Interface: "VIRTWAN" - assign to VLAN 2, virtual WAN with MLPPP config
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MLPPP target interfaces: DSL2LAN_1, DSL2LAN_2, DSL2LAN_3
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Physical Interface: "LAN" - normal LAN port, gateway is "VIRTWAN"
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I would think your modems would have to do the actual DSL pppoe and then your pfsense instance would do whatever method in that manner.
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It is desirable to do this to reduce complexity and if possible, take the ISP's router out of the picture.
The LAN side of each DSL modem does not need NAT, so that would have to be turned off for each ISP router, and some of them can be so hobbled that turning off NAT isn't even possible.
Also I have been seeing a connection latency problem which DSL Reports refers to as buffer bloat, and is apparently caused directly by the ISP's cruddy router software. So switching their router device to dumb bridged mode is probably for the best.
(And in context of the other thread, this part of the discussion is all normal client-side MLPPP and does not involve the MLPPP server side.)
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When you do a normal MLPPP connection on the router your DSL modems in bridge mode.. ( I used Zoom 5615 and 5715 models which are bridge only) you have an interface for each modem. The interfaces can be set up with maintenance IP's or left without.
Then you set up a PPP /interfaces_ppps.php and use the ctrl key as you choose all the interfaces where your modems reside. Fill in you user name and password.
I believe this is what your talking about… I no longer use this setup as Im on a bonded circuit now at the shop but still have some info around.