Binding/Bonding multiple DSL connections?

My business is served by a business cable connection. Business DSL pricing has gotten much more aggressive in my area but rather than simply switch ISPs I'm considering a couple different options:

Load Balancing I'm considering keeping my cable connection, adding a DSL connection, and load balancing between the two. This has the advantage of higher reliability due to redundancy thru two different providers.

Binding/Channel Bonding I'm also considering binding two or more DSL connections together, since my DSL provider does not offer an upstream throughput option that I'm completely satisfied with. If it's technically possible (and if my LEC supports it) I could bind 2 or 3 DSL connections together and the cost would be lower than or comparable to what I'm paying now for cable, with potentially much better specs on the connection.

I don't know whether channel bonding multiple DSL connections is a reaslistic scenario; I'm waiting to hear back from the phone company on this. I would also consider load balancing a channel bonded DSL link AND our cable connection to get the benefit of failover if an ISP goes down or has trouble.

I could set up one of my Windows Server 2003 servers as a router to provide the load balancing; my SonicWall appliance is currently serving as my router. Alternatively I could upgrade to a firewall appliance that supports load-balancing multiple WAN connections.

All thoughts/comments appreciated; it's very possible that I'm crazy.

Thanks in advance,

Bryan

Reply to
BJ
Loading thread data ...

A good idea if your business is at all dependent on an always on internet connection. Your DSL or your Cable may be down, but to kill both at once takes a backhoe and a fibre optic cable (g).

[snipping occured here]

A recent magazine comparison gave the SonicWall good marks (also the most expensive unit at ca. $900)

Alternatives would be ATM, or fractional T-3. This would also provide an upload speed equal to the download and the provider should be providing an SLA guaranteeing a certain level of uptime.

Reply to
Kay Archer

Look at an integrated T1 (up to 10 phone lines and 512K data.) In my market the price starts at close to $400 a month, the same as what we pay for telephone and SDSL.

SDSL is rediculously expensive, we pay something like $220 a month for

192/192. Any SDSL service remotely close to home cable or DSL speeds is more than the cost of a full T1.

I don't know what a fractional DS3 costs (around $1400 for 5Mb?) and I don't know if ATM is available outside a colo facility or a Metro Area Network.

Randy R

Reply to
Randy R

Sound expensive

In Denmark SHDSL is used in some cases for internet access, 2.3/.2.3 Mb app.

80$ month "Randy R" skrev i melding news: snipped-for-privacy@j33g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
Reply to
Erik Semey

Cabling-Design.com Forums website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.