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    Multi-WAN Load balancing vs Failover vs both (Default Gateway, DNS resolver, LAN and OpenVPN setups)

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    • MarinSNBM
      MarinSNB
      last edited by

      Hi everyone,

      I have two internet services from two different ISPs - one provides symmetric 1Gbps fiber service and another cable one with 1Gbps/60 Mbps. I am currently using a Netgate 6100 Max, several UniFi switches and APs.

      Recently I have been reading about multi- WAN setups in pfSense, default gateway, LAN traffic and DNS resolver and I am trying to figure out if it would be appropriate for me to do the following:

      1. Set up both a Load Balance Gateway group (each WAN with Tier 1) and another Failover one (fiber WAN gets Tier 1 and cable WAN2 gets Tier2). Would it make sense to use both or not? I kind of like having a higher throughput and frankly I am not super concerned about one internet service failing vs. the other as both services have been fairly reliable from what I have observed in the last 12 months or so. But that’s not to say that this will not happen in the future.

      2. Choose the Load Balancing Gateway group as the default gateway. Although, I thought I read somewhere in the pfSense documentation that the Failover gateway group must be selected as the default gateway. Please correct me if I read that wrong.

      3. DNS resolver - don’t plan to use the DNS forwarding mode and any other DNS providers, only the resolver mode and the DNS that pfSense provides. The multi-WAN documentation on this states that I should use the Failover group as the gateway for the resolver. Is this still ok to use even with a two gateway group setup (load balancing + failover)?

      4. For LAN rules, can I use the Load Balancing group as the gateway to route traffic or do I need to use the failover one?

      5. OpenVPN - I do plan to eventually set up NordVPN in my Netgate 6100. What would be the most appropriate gateway group to select here, load balancing or failover or both? I have a feeling that failover may be more appropriate but I could be wrong.

      Appreciate your assistance and thoughts. Thank you in advance!!

      Marin

      Netgate 6100 Max pfSense+
      —>Unifi Aggregation/24 Pro PoE/24 PoE Enterprise switches
      —> UCK2+
      —> 3x U6E APs

      MarinSNBM 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • MarinSNBM
        MarinSNB @MarinSNB
        last edited by

        Any thoughts on this?

        Netgate 6100 Max pfSense+
        —>Unifi Aggregation/24 Pro PoE/24 PoE Enterprise switches
        —> UCK2+
        —> 3x U6E APs

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
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