Modem in bridge mode. Connecting my router via dual WAN possible?

[Metallus97]

Hey guys,

 

I am getting gigabit (roughly 1100 down) in a few days and its actually cheaper than what I have now (thats 400 down).

I am using a AX88U with Merlin as my main Router/Firewall/WiFi/Mesh etc. Therefore Idd like to put my provider supplied modem+wifi shitbox into bridge mode and connect the AX88U to it. 

With the modem in bridge mode can I still connect my AX88U via Dual LAN? 

 

I want to do that to have the full ca. 11000Mbit/s that my connection will be capable of at the router. Every LAN-Cable connection made will be 1gig ports only (the shitbox and the AX88U only have 1gig ports...). I read that such ports cap out at about 950Mbit/s.

I know that I wont be able to use full power on a single link then but this is more about having manny high bandwidth applications/devices running at the same time and not having the $ to step everything up to  2,5 or even 10g.

 

Thanks+stay save!

[Kilrah]

Impossible to know since it fully depends on the "shitbox" but we know nothing about it...

[Falcon1986]

26 minutes ago, Metallus97 said:

Hey guys,

 

I am getting gigabit (roughly 1100 down) in a few days and its actually cheaper than what I have now (thats 400 down).

I am using a AX88U with Merlin as my main Router/Firewall/WiFi/Mesh etc. Therefore Idd like to put my provider supplied modem+wifi shitbox into bridge mode and connect the AX88U to it. 

With the modem in bridge mode can I still connect my AX88U via Dual LAN? 

 

I want to do that to have the full ca. 11000Mbit/s that my connection will be capable of at the router. Every LAN-Cable connection made will be 1gig ports only (the shitbox and the AX88U only have 1gig ports...). I read that such ports cap out at about 950Mbit/s.

I know that I wont be able to use full power on a single link then but this is more about having manny high bandwidth applications/devices running at the same time and not having the $ to step everything up to  2,5 or even 10g.

 

Thanks+stay save!

I don't think that's how the Dual WAN feature works for your AX88U. My impression is that it's for use in a scenario where there are 2 separate WAN connections, and this isn't even for bandwidth coalescing; it's for failover.

[Metallus97]

1 hour ago, Falcon1986 said:

I don't think that's how the Dual WAN feature works for your AX88U. My impression is that it's for use in a scenario where there are 2 separate WAN connections, and this isn't even for bandwidth coalescing; it's for failover.

It can do both. It can be set to failover and to balanced load. 
idea was to use balanced load to have the possibility of using two 1gbit links to the provider box 

[Metallus97]

1 hour ago, Kilrah said:

Impossible to know since it fully depends on the "shitbox" but we know nothing about it...

Alright it’s a Arris Touchstone TG3442DE 

shitbox because the WiFi and features (with the provider firmware) are crap 

[Windows7ge]

If you have two different WAN connections load-balancing should enable multiple clients to utilize both but if they're not the same speed it's a crap shoot weather one day you're on the 400Mbit connection or the 1100mbit connection. If you want single clients to max their 1Gbit links for Internet traffic I don't think this will work 100% of the time.

[Falcon1986]

51 minutes ago, Metallus97 said:

It can do both. It can be set to failover and to balanced load. 
idea was to use balanced load to have the possibility of using two 1gbit links to the provider box 

I think you're misunderstanding what I said before. Yes, your router can do failover and load-balancing, but that's with 2 different WAN connections; i.e. two different WAN IP addresses. You can't do load balancing on a single WAN connection over 2 physical ethernet cables. If the modem fails or slows, the router's backup is to failover to the same modem?

 

Have you asked your ISP for help with this? Because I'm predicting you might need their help to activate the correct settings on the Arris gateway.

[Metallus97]

1 hour ago, Windows7ge said:

If you have two different WAN connections load-balancing should enable multiple clients to utilize both but if they're not the same speed it's a crap shoot weather one day you're on the 400Mbit connection or the 1100mbit connection. If you want single clients to max their 1Gbit links for Internet traffic I don't think this will work 100% of the time.

 

 

32 minutes ago, Falcon1986 said:

I think you're misunderstanding what I said before. Yes, your router can do failover and load-balancing, but that's with 2 different WAN connections; i.e. two different WAN IP addresses. You can't do load balancing on a single WAN connection over 2 physical ethernet cables. If the modem fails or slows, the router's backup is to failover to the same modem?

 

Have you asked your ISP for help with this? Because I'm predicting you might need their help to activate the correct settings on the Arris gateway.

No I am sorry... didn’t put it clearly in the OP... English is not my first language.

 

I got one cable internet subscription that delivers 1100Mbit/s.

planed Setup: Arris Gateway ->AX88U with the Arris in bridge mode (got Merlin on the AX88U and want to do stuff myself).

Presumed problem: I need every bit of those 1100Mbit/s, but through the AX88U (firewall, routing etc.). But simply running one 1gig lan cable from Arris LAN1->WAN of the AX88U will only be able to do ~950Mbit/s. 
 

Solution(?): connect the Arris LAN1->WAN1 (AX88U)

AND Arris LAN2->WAN2 (AX88U)

And set the dual WAN on AX88U to load balance. I already tied this and enabling load balance gives WAN1 and WAN2 of the AX88U different MAC addresses.

Therefore for the arris this will look like just having two clients connected. Does this work in bride mode?

 

 

i know this will NOT be able to be a failover or anything  like that. 
(I think) this is useful when:

WAN1 maxed 950Mbit/s.

WAN2 can to the rest of the available 1100Mbit/s, ~150Mbit/s

and this won’t be available to one client.  One client will still Max at 950. Right?

so will this work with the Arris in bridge mode?

[Falcon1986]

15 minutes ago, Metallus97 said:

so will this work with the Arris in bridge mode?

Gotcha!

 

Well, I guess you'll be the one to find out. Try it and let us know since all you should need are ethernet cables to get the links going.

[Metallus97]

5 minutes ago, Falcon1986 said:

Gotcha!

 

Well, I guess you'll be the one to find out. Try it and let us know since all you should need are ethernet cables to get the links going.

Ok cool! So bridging should not hinder this?

[Falcon1986]

7 minutes ago, Metallus97 said:

Ok cool! So bridging should not hinder this?

Honestly, I have no idea. You'll have to try it yourself and see. Let us know what you find out.

[Kilrah]

It depends. If your ISP only gives you one WAN IP address then it won't, it'll give it to the first WAN cable you connect and the second will never get a link.

If your ISP gives you multiple IPs (very rare nowadays) then it should work.

[Metallus97]

19 minutes ago, Kilrah said:

It depends. If your ISP only gives you one WAN IP address then it won't, it'll give it to the first WAN cable you connect and the second will never get a link.

If your ISP gives you multiple IPs (very rare nowadays) then it should work.

But that should be irrelevant?

WAN1 and WAN2 will get different LAN IPs. Out to the net will be my normal IP sure!

or is that the point that’s different with the bridge mode?

[Kilrah]

That's the point of bridge mode. The box doesn't route nor gives IPs anymore, it becomes like a switch.

[Metallus97]

2 hours ago, Kilrah said:

That's the point of bridge mode. The box doesn't route nor gives IPs anymore, it becomes like a switch.

okkkkk understood! Thank you. I’ll ask my provider if two IPs are possible!

(guess not)

[Windows7ge]

6 hours ago, Metallus97 said:

 

 

No I am sorry... didn’t put it clearly in the OP... English is not my first language.

 

I got one cable internet subscription that delivers 1100Mbit/s.

planed Setup: Arris Gateway ->AX88U with the Arris in bridge mode (got Merlin on the AX88U and want to do stuff myself).

Presumed problem: I need every bit of those 1100Mbit/s, but through the AX88U (firewall, routing etc.). But simply running one 1gig lan cable from Arris LAN1->WAN of the AX88U will only be able to do ~950Mbit/s. 
 

Solution(?): connect the Arris LAN1->WAN1 (AX88U)

AND Arris LAN2->WAN2 (AX88U)

And set the dual WAN on AX88U to load balance. I already tied this and enabling load balance gives WAN1 and WAN2 of the AX88U different MAC addresses.

Therefore for the arris this will look like just having two clients connected. Does this work in bride mode?

 

 

i know this will NOT be able to be a failover or anything  like that. 
(I think) this is useful when:

WAN1 maxed 950Mbit/s.

WAN2 can to the rest of the available 1100Mbit/s, ~150Mbit/s

and this won’t be available to one client.  One client will still Max at 950. Right?

so will this work with the Arris in bridge mode?

I think not. With the Arris in bridged mode your AX88U will collect your Public IP on one of the two WAN interfaces. Without a second Public IP from your ISP the second WAN interface won't have an address to run off of.

 

Because of that Load Balancing won't work. It may work if you leave NAT enabled on the Arris but then you can just about forget about Port Forwarding anything. Not to mention some services hate Double NAT.