My specific question is how to use the realm module to accomplish the same thing that could be done with the nexthop module (proposed here https://lists.netfilter.org/pipermail/netfilter-devel/2003-November/013216.html ). Here's our setup and some info. We're currently attempting to load balance our Internet traffic over three low-cost dsl lines and one high-cost fiber connection. We're currently using multipath routing to accomplish this by setting multiple default routes, equalized, and with same weights. The problem is with connections that last a while (i.e. downloading large files); they get terminated after some time. It's my understanding that what is actually happening is that we're load-balancing packets rather than connections, and after some amount of time, the connection is broken because some of it's packets take on a different route. Our current setup is a linux box acting as our firewall with one external NIC, is connected to the dsl modems/routers and the fiber connection through a switch...thus, all Internet traffic goes out one interface on the firewall box. Therefore, I cannot mark any packets based on which interface it goes out, and thus I need to be able to mark packets based on the nexthop, which in turn will allow me to keep all packets of one connection using the same route (hopefully). The nexthop patch noted above looks like the answer to our situation, but I do not have support for this on my box, nor do I want to customize our kernels. Reading the posts regarding the nexthop module, it seems that the realm module can do the same as the nexthop and more, but I am quite unclear as to how to use the realm module. And finally to my question. How do I use the realm module to accomplish matching and marking packets based on nexthop? I can certainly setup a realm in my /etc/iproute2/rt_realms file, but at this point it appears that I must set specific routes that are part of this realm rather than having multiple default routes via a specific gateways each part of a different realm. Here's the most I've found for realm http://www.netfilter.org/projects/patch-o-matic/pom-submitted.html#pom-submitted-realm Can anyone enlighten me as to how to use the realm module for this task, or at least where I might find more in-depth docs or examples for using the realm module? Thanks, -- Michael Kimmick Software Administrator Pueblo School District No. 70 Pueblo, CO 81006 (719)295-6531
