Looking for recommendations: QUAD WAN router?

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spyrule

Active Member
Hello,

So I'm helping a friend setup a new business (driving simulators, game platforms etc). At the store location, they have no other internet option except a max 25/10 DSL. We'll obviously need more bandwidth than that, so we are looking at 4 total connections and then aggregating them together for better bandwidth management (I know combining them doesn't make a bigger pipe).

What I'm looking for is a quad WAN router/firewall that I could use to aggregate these connections together. We have a limited budget, so the cheaper/no yearly licensing the better.

I'd consider a pfsense box, but I've never done multi-wan on pfsense, and I suspect I'd need a decently powerful pc to agregate 4 connections effectively.

I should mention, that the rest of the network will be running ubiquiti stuff, so I'd like it to be as easily compatible as possible.
 

mstone

Active Member
Mar 11, 2015
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I'd consider a pfsense box, but I've never done multi-wan on pfsense, and I suspect I'd need a decently powerful pc to agregate 4 connections effectively.
No, this isn't particularly hard or resource intensive. Any reasonably current PC with a quad port ethernet card should be able to handle aggregate 100Mbps easily.
 

Pit

New Member
Jul 5, 2018
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I'd ask the provider if they can do a 4way bond on the dsl instead of setting up 4 separate links, then you'd have a single ethernet at dmark from provider and support for any issues involved with the links and bond.
 

T_Minus

Build. Break. Fix. Repeat
Feb 15, 2015
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You can do that on pfsense and configure it best to suit your needs... I ran a T1 and Fiber on a very very low-end pfsense appliance, worked fine.
 
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fohdeesha

Kaini Industries
Nov 20, 2016
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fohdeesha.com
also recommending pfsense, this is the exact kind of application it was built for. Check out the HP T620 plus - https://forums.servethehome.com/ind...-machines-for-network-appliance-builds.21014/

silent, draws 10 watts, about $80 on ebay, will easily route gigabit no problem. Also supports AES-NI for when/if pfsense makes that mandatory. You'll need to throw a low profile dual or quad port NIC into it, but that can be had for 20 or 30 bucks
 

zer0sum

Well-Known Member
Mar 8, 2013
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I'd check out OPNSense as well...it's a fork of pfsense and the direction they're taking may be of more interest to you :)
 

Aluminum

Active Member
Sep 7, 2012
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I would potentially argue that maybe the store location is not truly suitable for the business, especially if the primary use case depends on connectivity. Bonded stuff just doesn't provide the same results in my experience, and things bolted on top of old telco stuff (many, but not all DSL types are this) are not as reliable too.

Obviously depends on location and maybe there is nothing better, but:
Is it mostly selling equipment/service/etc or is it more of a game-on-site/cafe kind of plan? If the latter might want to shop around and make sure the real estate person understands they are actually dealing with an internet-based business.
 

Magebarf

New Member
Aug 15, 2018
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Sweden
I think the tips already given are the best in case you have the time and patience.

I'm assuming that the limited budget will be steering the choice, but if there's some wiggle room, I'd give a heads up for Mushroom Networks, that has based their entire business on bonding routers; SD WAN | Software Defined WAN Products | Mushroom Networks

Not used them myself, but come into contact with them multiple times in use cases where multiple 4G/LTE networks needed to be bonded, due to shaky cellular coverage.