How To Use Multiple Internet Connections

I'm just learning about Windows Servers... I have a question

If I want to have multiple Internet connections, lets say 3 DSL lines, into my Windows Server, can I use Windows Server 2003 Sm Business or 2003 Server to combine the connections for load balancing and fail over, with the output going to my internal lan port and out to my switch? I will also be using the server for DHCP, ect...

Is there a limit to how many external Internet connections I can use? Where can I configure this setup

Thanx

Mat



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Search the Internet about 'fatpipe'.

Thanks Jetro, but I know all about those products. I have in fact tried 2 other dual Wan routers also. Fat Pipe is very expensive, and the dual Wan hardware routers are unreliable. I need something that can handle 25 - 30 users at once, and be reliable

There is other routing software available, but also expensive. If I'm going to spend the money, I'd rather invest in a Small Business 2003 server edition. Microsoft says that 2003 Server can handle handle the multiple connections, but I can't get anyone to tell me how to do it!! HELP!!

No, W2k3 Server does not give you this. You can have more than one
gateway router, but it will only use one and switch if that one fails. It
does not do load balancing.

"msplitt" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:3DEE46E6-7360-48D0-ACE5-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Thanks Jetro, but I know all about those products. I have in fact tried 2
other dual Wan routers also. Fat Pipe is very expensive, and the dual Wan
hardware routers are unreliable. I need something that can handle 25 - 30
users at once, and be reliable.
>
> There is other routing software available, but also expensive. If I'm
going to spend the money, I'd rather invest in a Small Business 2003 server
edition. Microsoft says that 2003 Server can handle handle the multiple
connections, but I can't get anyone to tell me how to do it!! HELP!!

ISA Server, which is included into SBS 2k3 (Premium edition only), can do
the fail over and load balancing, but it involves a server array and the
hell of setup
http://www.isaserver.org/tutorials/C...N_Servers.html
Temporarily, you can split the network on logical groups and assign every
group the def. gateways in cyclic order, i.e. 1-2-3..., 2-3...-1, 3...-1-2
etc. It shouldn't be hard to configure small network with static IPs.
Certainly, every DSL modem needs its own router, and the LAN sides must be
joined. This setup gives you both some redundancy (fail over) and load
balancing

This would cost even more. It requires multiple ISA Server setup in an
Array, and in the article it only mentions load-balancing for the VPN
connections. But I admit that I have gone through the whole article very
thourghly.


--

Phillip Windell [MCP, MVP, CCNA]
www.wandtv.com



"Jetro" <no.spam@internet> wrote in message
news:e8MZVGn$(E-Mail Removed)...
> ISA Server, which is included into SBS 2k3 (Premium edition only), can do
> the fail over and load balancing, but it involves a server array and the
> hell of setup
>
http://www.isaserver.org/tutorials/C..._and_Load_Bala
ncing_for_Windows_2003_ISA_FirewallVPN_Servers.htm l
> Temporarily, you can split the network on logical groups and assign every
> group the def. gateways in cyclic order, i.e. 1-2-3..., 2-3...-1, 3...-1-2
> etc. It shouldn't be hard to configure small network with static IPs.
> Certainly, every DSL modem needs its own router, and the LAN sides must be
> joined. This setup gives you both some redundancy (fail over) and load
> balancing
>
>

I meant *not* gone through the article thourghly,...sorry for the typo.


--

Phillip Windell [MCP, MVP, CCNA]
www.wandtv.com


"Phillip Windell" <@.> wrote in message
news:uD2QQ15$(E-Mail Removed)...
> This would cost even more. It requires multiple ISA Server setup in an
> Array, and in the article it only mentions load-balancing for the VPN
> connections. But I admit that I have gone through the whole article very
> thourghly.
>
>
> --
>
> Phillip Windell [MCP, MVP, CCNA]
> www.wandtv.com
>
>
>
> "Jetro" <no.spam@internet> wrote in message
> news:e8MZVGn$(E-Mail Removed)...
> > ISA Server, which is included into SBS 2k3 (Premium edition only), can
do
> > the fail over and load balancing, but it involves a server array and the
> > hell of setup
> >
>
http://www.isaserver.org/tutorials/C..._and_Load_Bala
> ncing_for_Windows_2003_ISA_FirewallVPN_Servers.htm l
> > Temporarily, you can split the network on logical groups and assign
every
> > group the def. gateways in cyclic order, i.e. 1-2-3..., 2-3...-1,
3...-1-2
> > etc. It shouldn't be hard to configure small network with static IPs.
> > Certainly, every DSL modem needs its own router, and the LAN sides must
be
> > joined. This setup gives you both some redundancy (fail over) and load
> > balancing
> >
> >
>
>

I have to admit some misconception and misunderstanding. Yes, the term Load
balancing describes a functionality in a router that distributes packets
across multiple links based on layer 3 routing information. To achieve fault
tolerance two approaches could be used: hot standby and synchronized
execution.
So I've re-read a couple of Shindler's books and dug through
www.isaserver.org and found that Tomas Shindler stated:
"As things stand at this moment, you can't use multiple external interfaces
on the ISA Server. At the time the book was written, Microsoft was implying
that you could install multiple external interfaces on the ISA Server and
allow ISA Server to use them in a fault tolerance situation. Since that
time, its become clear that multiple external interfaces isn't really a
viable solution.
One option is to use a hardware load balancing in front of the ISA Server.
There are router solutions that allow you to plug multiple external
interfaces into them to create a fault tolerant solution. You can also use a
hardware load balancer, such as F5 networks BigIP. These solutions work
well, but suffer from being somewhat expensive.
However, if you can wait a month or two, something really exciting is coming
around the corner. Rainfiity (www.rainfinity.com) is coming out with a
product called RainConnect. The RainConnect product will first be
implemented as a second server that you can put in front of the ISA Server,
and later will be implemented to integrate with the ISA Server machine
itself. This will allow you to connect multiple external interfaces into the
computer, such as a DSL and T1, or multiple DSL or T1 lines. The RainConnect
product will automatically load balance the connections and provide fault
tolerance. It's a very exciting product and I expect it to be quite
popular!"

Evaluation versions are available at
http://www.rainfinity.com/products/downloads.html.
Through IntelliNAT and AdaptiveDNS, RainConnect is able to fail-over and
load balance ISP connections without reconfiguring routers or obtaining
special cooperation from your ISP as is required with BGP-based solutions.
At the same time, FAQ section explains that "None of the solutions that do
not use BGP provides transparent fail-over of connections. When RainConnect
fails-over an ISP link, existing connections are broken. RainConnect will
ensure available ISP links are used for new and re-established sessions."

Probably the best solution is choosing the Cisco products as always.

Yes, RainConnect or a hardware solution is usually what I suggest. I'm not
quite sure of all the exact details of what either product can (or can't) do
and manufactures don't spend much time in their Docs or websites telling you
what their products *can't* do. I'm the type of guy that if I don't use
something personnally I'm not going to learn it very well, and we aren't
likely to ever purchase and use anything like that here.

--

Phillip Windell [MCP, MVP, CCNA]
www.wandtv.com