Load Balancing 2 ISPs - one is installed in building beside

[mda]

Hello All,

I have a quick networking question --

I want to load balance 2 ISPs, but the 2nd ISP will be installed in another building.

If both are at the same site, I would get something like a firewall/router that can load balance the two, but in this case, the buildings are connected by a Fiber Optic Backbone.

I'd like to ask if what I'd like to do is possible...

ISP1 <--> Firewall (say, a Fortigate)/DHCP 192.168.1.1 <--> Switch with Fiber Optic endpoint
<-->
Switch with Fiber Optic endpoint at location B <--> Router at location B with DHCP off 192.168.1.2 <--> ISP2 at location B

I'd configure the Firewall to have 2 WANs, one dialing up to ISP1, and the other WAN set to 192.168.1.2.
The router at Site B just dials up to the ISP and that's it.

All computers are configured to use 192.168.1.1 as the default gateway via DHCP

Thanks

 

[Nicklebon]

Which building the wan circuits terminate really isn't an issue as long the ecmp device has access. My lab has two wan circuits. One is terminated in my current lab location the other in my old lab location located 3 buildings away. The buildings are linked via fiber and I have a private vlan configured from the old router terminating the old circuit to a router sitting in front of, coincidentally enough, a Fortigate. I simply setup a route on the remote router to route traffic to the lab router and then everything is as if the circuit is terminated in the lab. Aside from the fact that I am responsible for the link think of it as an overly extended demarc.

 

[mda]

Thanks for the info. At least I know it's possible. Probably another matter entirely getting it to work

 

[Nicklebon]

Getting it setup is dead easy. I'm running FortiOS 5.4.9 in the lab. If you're running 5.6+ it is even easier with everything you need under the sdwan config. I use 5.6 at home with AT&T Fiber and Spectrum. My description above is for a traditional business circuit terminated on a router but you could use the idea for extending dsl or cable. Basically something this:

cable modem ----- VLAN 986 switch port --------TRUNK BETWEEN BUILDINGS ---------- VLAN 986 switch port -------Fortigate port


It could not be more simple.