setup server 2003 for failover internet with dual nics behind NAT

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cyr0n_k0r

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What I really want was to get something like the Linksys RV082 or some other router/switch with Dual WAN.

Since they are too expensive for my budget I was wondering if I could just use 2 seperate routers going into nic 1 and nic 2 in the windows 2003 server.

Then setup windows 2003 such that is path 1 (primary path) timed out after x amount of seconds, it would automatically try path 2.
The sticky issue is that if 2 routers are being used, the server will have 2 seperate NAT IP's. Lets say 192.168.1.100 and 192.168.100.100


Does server 2003 support this?



EDIT: If the above is more of a pain than it's worth.. can anyone reccommend the cheapest of the cisco routers that support dual wan? rackmount preferred.
 
If they're Intel cards, you should be able to use Intel's PROset for Adapter Fault Tolerance to do it.
 
LittleMe said:
If they're Intel cards, you should be able to use Intel's PROset for Adapter Fault Tolerance to do it.
Click to expand...
They wont have to have outside IP's will they?
meaning, I dont want the server connected directly to the outside internet. So I want firewalls/routers inbetween the cable modems and the server.
So each intel card would hard an inside IP.

the server I will be using is a dell poweredge 2500. It has one integrated nic .. would I be able to use the intel software for 1 intel card and 1 non intel card?
 
Are you using 2 seperate internet connections? I doubt you'll see any benefit if you aren't. I believe there's a function to load balance 2 nics in win2k3, but I am too lazy to RDP into the one sitting right next to me to double check :)
 
Nasty_Savage said:
Are you using 2 seperate internet connections? I doubt you'll see any benefit if you aren't. I believe there's a function to load balance 2 nics in win2k3, but I am too lazy to RDP into the one sitting right next to me to double check :)
Click to expand...
I don't want to load balance, I want failover.

If primary connection drops I want the server to automatically pickup on the second line.
 
The problem is the fact that failover won't mean much unless the outside world knows, and tries, both IP addresses. If it does, then I don't think you will need to do much (if any thing). Having both IPs in DNS might allow for a sort of load balancing effect as well, since some software will use different addresses if multiple are avalible.
 
No, you'll have to have 2 Intel NIC's but if you're talking about an internet link, you can find dual port Intel Pro/100 Server NIC's kind of cheap.
 
Ok, this is what I think he is proposing

Code: 
      ISP A       ISP B
         |           |
      Router A    Router B
         |           |
         \           /
          \         /
           \       /
            Server

Thing is, I think Router A and Router B will have different IPs (I'm actually quite sure of this) and as such, those connection to the "Server" will have to know both in order for the failover to work at all.
EDIT: GRRRR darn code tags
 
I see what you're saying xipher and I'm only giving him ideas from the server to the router.
 
There isn't an efficient way to do it on Windows Server.

You can buy some failover routers for like, $150. I don't know how much that LinkSys one you mentioned costs. You could probably do it from some *nix box too.
 
Recent versions of Linux can use multiple providers. OpenBSD can do it as well via PF. FreeBSD might have this functionality as well since it has adopted PF. Thing is if its two different ISPs, and as such two different IPs, the clients connecting still need to know both IPs, or a host name that resolves to both, in order for the failover to work.
 
What others have said...

Any way you do it, it is only going to work from the INSIDE OUT, not from the OUTSIDE IN...
 
It can work from the outside in, just need every thing setup correctly, and even then its kind of hodgpodge.
 
Xipher said:
It can work from the outside in, just need every thing setup correctly, and even then its kind of hodgpodge.
Click to expand...

Yes, it can, but he will need much more than a router that supports failover...
 
well, know what needs this type of failover would be nice (http? smtp? costom app?), and weather or not it can handle this type of setup. More information is nessecary for this to be determined I think.
 
I have just decided to get a dual WAN router. Ill have to suck up the cost. I was thinking a linksys RV082

but does cisco make a dual wan router in 1U format that is relatively cheap?
 
cyr0n_k0r said:
I have just decided to get a dual WAN router. Ill have to suck up the cost. I was thinking a linksys RV082

but does cisco make a dual wan router in 1U format that is relatively cheap?
Click to expand...

Cisco does not make a router that will be anywhere near the price of the RV082 (not new at least) nor do they refer to them as "Dual WAN", it would simply be a router with multiple Ethernet Interfaces that you can configure in much the same way the RV082 operates. Also, without prior Cisco experience it would not be an easy task to get it working properly...

I say go with the Linksys, it should get you close to where you want to be....
 
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