ethernet multilinking with 2 isps

Ok, here is my situation. I have a wired ethernet connection going to
my computer for the internet , and I also have the possibility of
connecting to another isp through my wireless card. I am wondering if
I connect to both, can I setup a multilink connection between the 2 to
theoretically double my bandwidth? I have searched the groups, and it
seems like back in 2000 it wasn't possible, but it is now? Or maybe I
can setup load sharing between the 2 connections?

Thanks

Mike

On 14 Jan 2006 14:26:52 -0800, mike <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> Ok, here is my situation. I have a wired ethernet connection going to
> my computer for the internet , and I also have the possibility of
> connecting to another isp through my wireless card. I am wondering if
> I connect to both, can I setup a multilink connection between the 2 to
> theoretically double my bandwidth? I have searched the groups, and it
> seems like back in 2000 it wasn't possible, but it is now? Or maybe I
> can setup load sharing between the 2 connections?

You cannot bond 2 different interfaces to act as one at higher speed
without something on the internet to bind that end (acting as single
internet IP). I do not know if that can be effectively done through a 3rd
party since each leg from different ISP will likely have different speed
and routing.

It is quite common to have specific routing for specific destination (like
mail server for each ISP), load balancing (alternating traffic between
them), or fallback if an interface fails. Load balancing will be no
faster for any one connection, but can be faster for multiple connections
at a time.

On 14 Jan 2006, in the Usenet newsgroup comp.os.linux.networking, in article
<(E-Mail Removed). com>, mike wrote:

>Ok, here is my situation. I have a wired ethernet connection going to
>my computer for the internet , and I also have the possibility of
>connecting to another isp through my wireless card. I am wondering if
>I connect to both, can I setup a multilink connection between the 2 to
>theoretically double my bandwidth?

Yes, and no See the Adv-Routing-HOWTO

>I have searched the groups, and it seems like back in 2000 it wasn't
>possible, but it is now? Or maybe I can setup load sharing between the
>2 connections?

If you are hoping to be able to download a single file faster - no. The
host you are downloading to knows about one IP address, but not about the
second, and therefore can't shovel it down both pipes at the same time.

If you are downloading multiple files (or otherwise using the Internet
in separate streams/applications/functions), the Adv-Routing-HOWTO will
tell you how this _MAY_ increase your effective bandwidth. You would
appear to the world to be two separate computers that have no relation to
each other.

-rw-rw-r-- 1 gferg ldp 297491 Sep 4 2003 Adv-Routing-HOWTO

Should be part of your distribution, or get it from any LDP mirror on the
Internet.

Old guy

David Efflandt wrote:
> On 14 Jan 2006 14:26:52 -0800, mike <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>> Ok, here is my situation. I have a wired ethernet connection going to
>> my computer for the internet , and I also have the possibility of
>> connecting to another isp through my wireless card. I am wondering if
>> I connect to both, can I setup a multilink connection between the 2 to
>> theoretically double my bandwidth? I have searched the groups, and it
>> seems like back in 2000 it wasn't possible, but it is now? Or maybe I
>> can setup load sharing between the 2 connections?
>
> You cannot bond 2 different interfaces to act as one at higher speed
> without something on the internet to bind that end (acting as single
> internet IP). I do not know if that can be effectively done through a 3rd
> party since each leg from different ISP will likely have different speed
> and routing.
>
> It is quite common to have specific routing for specific destination (like
> mail server for each ISP), load balancing (alternating traffic between
> them), or fallback if an interface fails. Load balancing will be no
> faster for any one connection, but can be faster for multiple connections
> at a time.



The above is very true. You could use fancy routing to send 50% of
traffic one way and 50% the other way. That wouldn't make anything
faster but you could download twice as much at once...

You'd use "iproute2"

Scott R. Haven
Sr. Systems Engineer
Paisley Systems, Inc.
http://www.paisleysystems.com