Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 18:29 Post subject: Load Balancing 2 x 100Mbit help with setup
Hey guys ! So i'm almost done school etc so I got some time to do this
What I wanna do is load balance between 2 computers.
I want to do 2 x 100Mbit NICs, so that will give me a total of 200Mbit full duplex. (No I don't want to buy 1Gbit switch because this will be more fun )
Here is the topology I want:
The big Focus is on the Router2 and the PCs, Router 1 shouldn't need any configs.
PC1: Runs Windows XP SP3, and will be used as my Desktop.
PC2: Runs Windows XP SP2, and will be used as the fileserver with big storage (like few 1TB drives or whatever.
Router2: Is a WRT54G v4.0(Which I will add fan mods and OC to 250Mhz or the max it can go.
Router1: Is my WRT54GL v1.1 OCed to 250Mhz, already running with DD-WRT, and from there its connected to the modem and ISP. So
On the Router2, I want it to just act like a switch and all 5 ports will be used. 2 from PC1, and 2 from PC2, and the 5th WAN port needs to act as a LAN port and connect to Router1 so the PC1 and PC2 can also have internet.
PC1 and PC2 are already equiped with 2 100Mbit NICs already, and I have the available ethernet straigh-through cables.
Questions are:
What DD-WRT Will I need to run on Router 2, AND what software is needed for the PCs? Also what about assigning IPs?[/img]
considering that PC1 & PC2 are not the same information then really you dont want 'load-balancing'
i think what you really want is to have QoS for the file server so that it does not delay your gaming / browsing / etc.
and you wont have 200mb duplex regardless b/c of your 100mb ports on router 2, no two are going toward router 1, therefore your limitation will be 100mb _________________ 2x WRT54G v5, 2x WRT54G v2
1x WRT54G-TM
1x WRT54GL
1x WRT54G2 v1
2x BUFFALO WHR-G54S
2x BUFFALO WHR-G300N v2
1x BUFFLOW WHR-HP-G300N
1x La Fonera
FON Client Bridge tutorial
Joined: 16 Mar 2009 Posts: 62 Location: Reynoldsburg, OH
Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 19:49 Post subject:
Well in my house we have according to my last count 22 things connected to our network. I have done something similar, where our main file sharing computer has two NICs in it with Win XP SP3. I have always understood that XP will pretty much handle shifting the load around however it needs to between multiple NICs. I know in our setup we have been able to have all of our various computers in the house pulling stuff off of and putting stuff onto our server, and windows will fully utilize both NICs. I didn't have to do anything special, other than make sure that the network topology is such that 200 mb can get to all parts of the network... _________________ Linksys WRT54GL v1.1 Main router
Linksys WRT54G v8.2 2nd AP
Linksys WRT54G v5 Client Bridge
right, but his diagram shows 2x 100mb to pc1/pc2 then 1x 100mb to the other router and thats about it.
if he just wants 200mb between the two computer (pc1/pc2) then router 2 can just be a simple dumb switch with 5+ ports, but since there is only 1x 100mb port to the rest of his network, the only 200mb connection will be between pc1/pc2 and not the rest of his network.
caveat: single files will not transfer any faster. so unless you are doing a ton of concurrent files (e.g. multiple rars over multiple transfers concurrently) _________________ 2x WRT54G v5, 2x WRT54G v2
1x WRT54G-TM
1x WRT54GL
1x WRT54G2 v1
2x BUFFALO WHR-G54S
2x BUFFALO WHR-G300N v2
1x BUFFLOW WHR-HP-G300N
1x La Fonera
FON Client Bridge tutorial
OK guys, so like you said, I want 200Mbit JUST between the PC1 and PC2, and the WRT54G v4.0 Router #2 will ACT like a dumb switch.
I dont need 200Mbit between anything else, so my other LAN port will be 100Mbit to the Router 1, and since Router2 will act as a switch, traffic from PC1 to PC2 will only be contained in Router 2, it will not cross to Router 1 through the 100mbit port.
Joined: 16 Mar 2009 Posts: 62 Location: Reynoldsburg, OH
Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2009 3:35 Post subject:
Yep I follow, and in which case you wont really have to do anything special to make it work. All you would need to do is make sure that the dhcp server in router 2 is off, and make sure it's setup properly to bridge (i don't have a link, but there are some great wikis that can take you through all the little steps you would need to make it work right). Otherwise, windows takes care of the dirty work as far as balancing traffic between the two connections on each computer... _________________ Linksys WRT54GL v1.1 Main router
Linksys WRT54G v8.2 2nd AP
Linksys WRT54G v5 Client Bridge
Joined: 16 Mar 2009 Posts: 62 Location: Reynoldsburg, OH
Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2009 3:43 Post subject:
Yeah you would need to do that. The check box is on the main page under the "setup" tab. I know I've seen it before, but strangely when I looked at my interface it's not there. Either they took it out of one of the newer releases, or it's not in the micro version, and I'm thinking of when I've worked on my friend's... _________________ Linksys WRT54GL v1.1 Main router
Linksys WRT54G v8.2 2nd AP
Linksys WRT54G v5 Client Bridge
Well there are few ways to "team" 2 or more NICs but also other wnd has to support such method and afaik no dumb switch support such stuff... So even when teaming can be easy on a computer it isn't such easy without switch/other end supporting it...
So it REALLY would be best and even cheaper solution to get an gigabit router as load balance supporting switches costs that much more than basic or even more better gigabit switch...
So unless there are an way that I don't know to do load balancig without switch supporting it it isn't going to work.
main file sharing computer has two NICs in it with Win XP SP3. I have always understood that XP will pretty much handle shifting the load around however it needs to between multiple NICs.
if winxp has auto-load balancing then setting up the two machines wired (preferably static ip's for all 4 jacks on the 2 machines) then you can do what ritamosuno and i had talked about.
change you WAN to LAN on the bridge
though like i had said before, if you only have 1-2 streams going between pc1/pc2, then there will be NO speed increase over 1x 100mb connection; chances are you will need 3+ concurrent connections for it to load-balance _________________ 2x WRT54G v5, 2x WRT54G v2
1x WRT54G-TM
1x WRT54GL
1x WRT54G2 v1
2x BUFFALO WHR-G54S
2x BUFFALO WHR-G300N v2
1x BUFFLOW WHR-HP-G300N
1x La Fonera
FON Client Bridge tutorial
Well there are at least 4 diffirent type of load balancing and most effective ones really need both computer and the other end (usually switch) to support it... If every part supports the stuff then speed is almost 100mbps times the physical interfaces even in 1 single connection...
Sure one can get 2 NICs on 2 computers and switch in between and get sort of load balancing in software as freonchill described it, but it would indeed work only with multiple simultaneous connections as there are no real load-balancing happening, only software based stuff deciding that trough what NIC any new connection is established...
I do know that for example most Intel NIC supports multiple methods of "teaming" (as Intel describes it) but it again other end has to support it too... In the other hand doing it by software alone means that no other end needs to support anything special but it isn't really that ideal situation as it is really an "intelligence" that just decides that which what NIC any new connection is made trough...
Okay maybe this is enough repetition from my part... I just wanted to make every angle to be shown.
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