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) | | | | | | ------+--------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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