looking for a smart router supports auto failover router between two WANs

[medusakeith]

Is there any recommended router, dual or multi wan router which may help me to get auto failover the packets between the main and backup wan?
i need to keep my SIP calls remains even the main wan disconnected.

thanks

 

[GregN]

Are you saying you want a existing VOIP call to not drop even when the interface it is bound to fails?

I'm not positive, but my understanding is that once the session is initiated, it is bound to that interface (destination and orgin IPs make a virtual circuit)

I think it is possible to failover WANS, and restart the call on the secondary interface. If that is what you are looking to do, the router distro pfSense will handle it.

 

[thiggins]

There are many multi-WAN routers. The Cisco RV0XX are pretty popular. Use the Router Finder, and click the WAN Ports link twice in the Features section to sort by descending # of ports to find more.

As GregN points out, failover is not instantaneous. So any calls in progress will be disconnected.

 

[medusakeith]

>>Are you saying you want a existing VOIP call to not drop even when the interface it is bound to fails?

Yes and I don't want my VoIP call drops whenever my primary WAN failover to the second WAN. It is robust VoIP call connection I want to own for deploying my dual WAN routers. I do some research off some dual or multi wan routers. They do failover, loadbalancing and VoIP but not that specifically for the auto-failover VoIP.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

but not that specifically for the auto-failover VoIP.

The IP "session" will stop/break...as it changes WAN interfaces (thus ISP connections). It will shift from one IP address, to the other. By that logic...it is stopping..and then starting up again. It has to. Plus...if you're doing failover properly...you'll be using an entirely different ISP..so it will have an even longer trip to make during the change. There is really little that your edge appliance can do to stop that. (For failover it's wise to use a different ISP..since, if your connection goes down....having the same ISP for your second connection usually will go down also).

 

[claykin]

My vote is Zyxel USG 50 or higher.

 

[mortov]

Depending on your exact set up, you may be able to achieve what you want. There is not really enough information in your post to really answer your question. But, I'll take a go anyway!

Key is likely to be how is the remote VoIP destination contacted ? If you're over the internet and you want some way to keep contact despite the WAN IP and route changing, you're unlikely to have much success at keeping a live call going - exactly as already mentioned.

However if you are connected to the destination via a VPN, then it is possible with something like the Draytek and the latest firmware updates. The VPN configuration has now added GRE tunnels to bond 2 VPN links. You could create a VPN dedicated on each WAN interface (i.e. forced to use each specific WAN link only) and then create a GRE tunnel to bond them into a fail-over link. This keeps the VPN running, even in the event of a WAN failure.

I'm not sure it would be readily achievable in any other way - even the dead link detection time would probably kill a VoIP call due to packet loss. This solution is also limited to when your VoIP destination is on a VPN - something you would not readily have available for a commercial SIP provider.

 

[hnicanor]

We have been looking for a good solution for that and tested few options.
The one that works the best and flawlessly is the Draytek 2920n Dual Wan router.
Nothing makes as fast and transparent failover as the Draytek, check this video out that shows Wan failover for a SIP call:
http://youtu.be/9nOc-35Xti4
If SIP server supports rtp follow, it maintains existing calls.

 

[medusakeith]

Bravo! It's magic. DrayTek 2920

Thank you very VERY much for that recommendation.
I do get what I want from that solution to make sure my SIP call always stays remains no matter WAN cross over.

My geek pal loves that stuff so much.

 

[claykin]

Lab testing failover by pulling the Cat5 cable is often very different than the way your WAN connection drops in real world use. In the Youtube video he yanks the cable from each WAN port. This is a definitive way for the Draytek to determine WAN failure. What happens when the WAN port stays up, but the ISP has routing trouble beyond their customer premise modem? Bet the results will be quite a bit different. This type of failure is most common.

Also, OP, keep in mind that your VOIP provider and equipment must properly support RTP protocol.

Also, Draytek is not alone in their support for RTP. Zyxel supports it as well.

 

[hnicanor]

The Draytek failover video in youtube had the following description since day one:
"In this case the router detects the the failure immediately as the cable is physically disconnected. If ISP fails upstream then the failover would take about 5 -10 seconds as Draytek is testing the connection every 5 seconds. This is designed that way as we don't want the router failing over every time there is a micro-cut."
@ Claykin I wish you read that before commenting.
I don't think Zyxel (even in models that cost double) would respond the same way even pulling the cables, if so please show us.
What RTP support are you referring to?

 

[claykin]

The Draytek failover video in youtube had the following description since day one:
"In this case the router detects the the failure immediately as the cable is physically disconnected. If ISP fails upstream then the failover would take about 5 -10 seconds as Draytek is testing the connection every 5 seconds. This is designed that way as we don't want the router failing over every time there is a micro-cut."
@ Claykin I wish you read that before commenting.
I don't think Zyxel (even in models that cost double) would respond the same way even pulling the cables, if so please show us.
What RTP support are you referring to?

I did read the text under the video. Why would they bother showing failover on a cable pull when this doesn't represent a typical real world WAN connection loss?

Unless you've got this guy sitting in your equipment room.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBkf0nAGqi0