I’m using a Mikrotik device (RB951G-2HnD) in my home, and it’s a rather simple setup. One LAN, one TP-Link ADSL modem (TD-8817; NAT disabled) that provides access to the internet, with PPPoE configured.
Now, I’ll soon be getting a second modem (an LTE one, most probably from Huawei) and I was wondering if it would be possible for Mikrotik to operate with both modems at once. I was googling about this, but I was only finding guides for fallback or load balancing configuration, which is not what I want. I’d like to assign (preferably by MAC or IP) which device in the network should be using which modem to talk to the outside world.
Is that possible? Because if so, then I would be able to save a bit of money and get just the LTE modem instead of modem+router.
Yes, I believe most if not all MT RBs can handle multiple WANs.
I have two different RBs and both handle my fiber and cable ISPs with no problem.
My setup is different in that I use the fiber as primary and cable as backup and cable for email.
If you want to load balance or use one specifically there is more work to be done than for my simple case but yes its pretty standard fare.
These are focussed on load balancing, however I get the impression you simply want to route LAN traffic from one set of users to one ISP and another set of users to the other ISP.
That may be far simpler and be a more simple case of setting up routing routes and ensuring sourcenat rules are properly covered. Hopefully someone else can chime in.
That’s correct. I’m not looking for load balancing at all.
I’ve skimmed through the thread you linked me, there are mentions of routing traffic through interfaces. The current ADSL modem is connected directly to the router, but I believe I won’t be able to plug the new LTE modem directly into the router - it will be connected to a switch upstairs. Will this be a problem?
The last link, the thread has exactly your scenario so if you understand what is being done on the articles it should be fairly easy to implement.
Typical is modem to router port but your saying you have an LTE modem fixed location upstairs and can attach to a switch that could be okay IF…
How is that switch then connected to the router?
Is anything else connected to the switch?
What kind of switch is it.
For example if the upstairs switch is a managed switch then you have much more flexibility (either by vlan tagging or port vlan).
hm, once I create another LAN, it will look the same indeed.
The Mikrotik is located downstairs. There’s a single cat6 cable going upstairs, which is connected to a switch on one end, and to Mikrotik on the other.
Yes, there’s a bunch of other devices connected (namely: two PCs at most and an access point).
It’s a “dumb” switch, D-Link DGS-105.
Hmm I gather then that the possibility of a second line is not feasible.
Well sounds like a case of VLANitis.
If we had a managed switch upstairs with
port1 = trunk port (carrying vlan1 by default, vlanM)
port2 = to modem (vlanM)
port3= to dummy switch (access port pvid=1, allow only untagged frames)
port4=AP assuming same traffic as port 3 (access port etc…)
etc..
At the ROUTER
PORT2 - Trunk port from managed switch tagged with vlanM as well as regular traffic on default pvid=1)
Now the problem I have conceptually is how to handle that vlan M traffic and turn it into a dhcp client…
So I assume without a managed switch it might not be possible to do, without VLANs? If so, after comparing the prices of the cheapest gigabit managed switch I could find with the price of an LTE router + modem from the ISP, it’d be cheaper for me to go with the latter, and just have my PC connected to both routers instead.
Though I’m still open to suggestions if it actually is possible to pull off with my current “dumb” switch, in case someone came up with an idea.