combining 2 internet connections to same isp

[karlmarxxx]

Background Info:

We had one full T1 with an Isp. the contract ran out and they included a second T1 for the same price and they through in a free router. The original T1 is on a cisco 2500 router and has a full class C. We will call it 206.xxx from now on. The second free router is connected to a second card in the Dmark and is made by netopia. We will call it 207.xxx from now on.It's only a /27 but is still a full T1. I set up a third cisco 1600 I had laying around to direct the traffic to one router or the other in round robin using 2 static routes with the same metric. The 1600 router has an ip on each of the networks.
The only thing im using is static routes:
ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 206.xxx 10
ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 207.xxx 10

The 1600 is running IOS 11.2 so that might put some limitations on it.

The problem:
All the test traffic was sent to the cisco 1600 round robins outward to the internet through both routers. When I disconnected on of the routers it would ping !.!.! and so on. So the connection is redundant but the problem is it still only downloads at 1.5mbps not 3mbps. How can I get this to transfer at full speed. I was thinking that it has to do with how I send the traffic in round robin but maybe it's something else. I would like to use the hardware I already have if possible.

Net Map:
ISP
|
|
------------
| |
T1_1 T1_2
| |
Cisco 2500 <--- --->Netopia
206.xxx.xxx.xx1 207.xxx.xxx.xx1
| |
| |
--------->Cisco 1600<-------
206.xxx.xxx.xx2
207.xxx.xxx.xx2
|
|
Internal Network/DMZ
206.xxx.xxx.xx3 - 254

 

[burtsbees]

When I disconnected on of the routers it would ping !.!.! and so on."
That is correct.
"So the connection is redundant but the problem is it still only downloads at 1.5mbps not 3mbps."
Correct.
In order to get 3MBps, the links must be bonded and so therefor must exist in the same router. Sell the Netopia on Ebay (unless is can bond links). You may just want to ditch all 3 routers and get a Cisco 2600 series or 2800 series. You need two WICs or a dual t1 VWIC/WIC to accomplish this. It is called MLPPP, Multi Link Point to Point Protocol. Otherwise, it will go back and forth in round robin like that.

Burt

 

[kcusscam]

What Burt says is true but before you get another router I would check with the ISP to make sure they are willing to do this (it is most likely that they will but you never know); they will need to set the encapsulation on their end to PPP with a multilink. If cost is a factor then a used 2620xm could be had for under 200 buck and the t1 wics (used) would be about 100 (x2); I believe the 2621xm is still supported though. If cost and support is important then the 2800 series would be the way to go.

The other nice thing about this if one link when down then both address ranges should be available as the logical link they are bound to would still be up.

jeremy

 

[burtsbees]

Yes, forgot to mention that it would have to be configured the same at the ISP end. Thanks Jeremy.

Burt