Hi All, this is a quick question on setting up multipath routing on SME (7.4)
The situation is this: We have 2 ADSL connections at my workplace. Current setup is
#1ADSL goes into a netgear router/firewall with the LAN side providing DHCP, DNS, basically connection for all the users internet
#2ADSL goes into an SME server which provides our mailserver and webserver and also as a WINS. It doesn't provide DHCP for the local network as this is provided by the Netgear.
SME server is set for Server & gateway but no internal traffic goes out via the #2ADSL only outgoing mail (which is technically from the SMTP daemon). What my boss wants to do (without knowing the implications) is to have BOTH adsl connections available for carrying internet requests OR to be a failover in the event that #1adsl goes down. Which only seems to happen when he is in the middle of doing something vitally important in which case then he comes pacing until it is fixed.
So my thinking is:
a) could the SME box be set up to do multipath routing OSPF/BGP/??
b) the SME box can do everything the Netgear can do (in terms of its routing and VPN capability - using openvpn) so i would like to just ditch it (ok so i didn't buy the hardware so I am not in any way emotionally attached to it)
c) could having two external connections have 1 favour certain traffic but have the other take up the slack (or the whole load in the event one goes down)
d) the #2ADSL IP is the one that the FQDN is registered to. So this one is the more critical one to keep up so maybe not to pollute the SME box with more traffic and complex routing algorithms.
e) if the multipath routing was done it would be less easy to detect if either connection has failed until both have failed. Although I can't prove it I get less problems (I think) with having the adsl modem connected to the SME box than to the hardware router.
f) I also have the option (provided I can submit a valid argument for doing it) of replacing the netgear with another SME box that is already in the rack to do the routing for #1ADSL (I set it up with extra NICs to do just that in the beginning)
So short answers:
a) Is it possible to do?
b) if a)==yes, is it practical to do?
c) Are there any contribs to do it?
d) What other unforeseen issues could arise from doing this?
I have never (needed) multipath routing and never implemented it, although I got close when I was involved in a WiFi WAN project some years ago. So I may not know exactly what I am asking for, so feel free to correct me.
Regards,
Steve B
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