VPN (IP x.x.150.3) VPN (IP x.x.150.3)
| |
| |
Cable Link DSL Link
(IP y.y.y.y) (ppp0 z.z.z.z)
| |
| |
Netopia R9100 Linux Router
(IP x.x.125.1) (eth0 x.x.125.3)
| |
| |
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------+--------x.x.125.0--------+---------
Currently, our network (x.x.125.0) uses a Netopia R9100 as it''s gateway
and firewall to the Internet. It also provides a critical VPN link to a
remote site. In order to have a backup/redundant connection, I''ve added
a DSL line using a Linux box as a router/firewall instead of purchasing
another separate router.
What I''d like to do is load balance the two connections but everything
I''ve been reading shows a single box functioning as the router with 3
NICs in it - 1 for the internal network and 2 for the Internet
connections. But, is it possible to do it with my current setup, using
the separate Netopia router as the second gateway? Gateway for the
internal clients would be set to x.x.125.3 (the Linux router)
Most of the client workstations are Mac OS (pre-OS X for now) and Win
9x/XP. Only a small percentage of the workstations require access to
the VPN and they don''t produce much traffic on it. They could all be
routed out one link or the other at the same time and it wouldn''t have
much effect on their performance, but if that link goes down, I want
them to be able to flip over to the working connection relatlively
seamlessly. Load balancing on the non-VPN Internet traffic would be
great though, as that load can get rather large.
I suppose I''m complicating things (needlessly?) by considering this
approach instead of just sticking another NIC into the Linux router.
But I do like having that Netopia router still in place - if anything
happened to the Linux router, change the internal IP address on the
Netopia and it functions as the default gateway with the VPN still in
place.
Is this concept going to be possible, and assuming that it is, is it
worthwhile?
Thanks,
Dave Wadson
IT Manager
The Chronicle-Journal
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