Need Router Recommendation

[coxhaus]

Did you use this pdf to setup your RV340W router's VPN? This was on Cisco's support forums site.

https://supportforums.cisco.com/t5/...l2tp/td-p/3012017/page/2?attachment-id=126058

 

[azdeltawye]

I need some help on a router recommendation. Here are the minimum specs

1. Absolute dual-WAN capability with load balancing -- two WAN RJ45 ports. Even better if I can add a third USB interface for a cell backup.
2. At least 4 LAN ports. More is better.
3. Ability to interface with OpenVPN
4. A vendor that is willing to support individual users - no need to work through reseller/partner
5. Ease of use in a browser interface, especially in the areas of reserved (static) IP assignment, port forwarding and VLAN establishment.

...

What about the Linksys LRT224?
This is a business-class router that meets all your requirements above however the hardware is a bit outdated as it was originally released in 2013...

 

[coxhaus]

Are they still updating the software for the LRT224? I would not run a router which does not still have software updates. It is too much of a security risk.

 

[azdeltawye]

Are they still updating the software for the LRT224? ....

Latest Firmware was released on 5/9/18

 

[coxhaus]

Sounds like they are supporting the LRT224.

 

[MJB87]

Thanks for your input. In my case, I only wish I suffered a bottleneck of 160Mbps. My satellite ISP gives me only 4-12Mbps (depending upon the time of day) and my long-range WiFi ISP gives me 6-10Mbps (depending upon time of day). During my peak usage periods I'll be lucky if I have to manage a total of 10-12Mbps though both ISPs combined.

If I link the Peplink dual-router performance and OS and I need more speed I can always buy a faster Peplink router. A 600Mbps Peplink router costs about as much as I spend on my ISPs every 3 months.

 

[LittleM@n]

My gut tells me there is an emerging niche for this type of product but no one has filled it. Cisco and Peplink fill the hardware needs but not the consumer-interface needs. Synology, Ubiquiti and Linksys fit the consumer needs but lack robustness and true dual-wan design.

This niche is filled very well by Mikrotik. I don’t even understand why you haven’t start with them.
They cover solutions for all sorts of needs, and the RouterOS GUI is enough to setup your n WAN links if you want (not only dual WAN), and supports OpenVPN also.
And for the speeds you’re looking at, you can get away even with a cheap $50 router they have on offering.
In the end, if you need in-depth control, the CLI is as powerful as a Cisco iOS, with some missings or addings here and there.
And their online documentation is in general detailed and exampled enough, that covers any general requirement. Otherwise, just ask on forums.

And for people searching for a serious 2xGigabit WAN router, try the Mikrotik Ah1100x4. 7.5Gbps backplane speed, holds pretty well for any kind of household requirement.

On a final note, I personally just ordered a hap ac2. Especially for home, to be able to saturate a 1Gbps Fiber link. If anyone is interested how it goes, let me know.

Cheers!

 

[Luminair]

Mikrotik is good for pro installations, but not easy for regular people to use. And their free documentation is the worst I've seen. And I think you only get a month or so of free tech support.

 

[umarmung]

This niche is filled very well by Mikrotik. I don’t even understand why you haven’t start with them.

Know your audience. Do not recommend Mikrotik to someone who is asking for both strong support and ease of use. It does not matter one iota how powerful something is, if the end user cannot use it, does not have the time commitment or is not comfortable maintaining it.

Everything has its niche.

 

[Cloud200]

I am surprised you were not looking at the Peplink model Balance One Core (version without WiFi) .
It is a heck of a lot faster than the older Balance 20.
Especially since you stated price was not a main concern.

 

[kvic]

Perhaps it's a well played alternative way of marketing to begin with

 

[MJB87]

I am surprised you were not looking at the Peplink model Balance One Core (version without WiFi) .
It is a heck of a lot faster than the older Balance 20.
Especially since you stated price was not a main concern.

I'd consider it if I needed the speed. My internet speed requirements are modest -- both ISPs together only get me 20Mbps at best. However, I do have 80+ devices on the network, not including actual human users, so I may need greater capacity. Hence the 210.

 

[Luminair]

I'd consider it if I needed the speed. My internet speed requirements are modest -- both ISPs together only get me 20Mbps at best. However, I do have 80+ devices on the network, not including actual human users, so I may need greater capacity. Hence the 210.

How is it working out for you? I recommended the highest-end model because I don't like lower performance older hardware. But if the older stuff works fine for you then that's fine by me

 

[MJB87]

I'm a relative novice in this area so a primary consideration for me is use of use. On that dimension the Peplink Balance family is very appealing. If I need to upgrade hardware, I can always do that.

 

[vin]

I need some help on a router recommendation. Here are the minimum specs

1. Absolute dual-WAN capability with load balancing -- two WAN RJ45 ports. Even better if I can add a third USB interface for a cell backup.
2. At least 4 LAN ports. More is better.
3. Ability to interface with OpenVPN
4. A vendor that is willing to support individual users - no need to work through reseller/partner
5. Ease of use in a browser interface, especially in the areas of reserved (static) IP assignment, port forwarding and VLAN establishment.

A nice to have feature is a USB NAS connection.. Another nice feature would be an ability to manage connected device names through some type of MAC lookup feature.

Maybe ASUS BRT-AC828 can fit your requirement, which model equipped with 2GbE WAN, and come with OpenVPN/IPSecVPN, VLAN, USB NAS and internal RADUIS server.
https://www.asus.com/Business-Networking/BRT-AC828/

 

[System Error Message]

$300 for Peplink Balance 20 that's more than five-year old and does a routing speed of 160Mbps is insane..I hope the vendor provides superb after-sales support to justify that.

My Edgerouter X ($50 apiece) can do better than 160Mpbs. That's with full QoS on. Load balance with two WAN (so far flawless to my experience). You can go up to 4-WAN load balance, leaving one RJ45 for LAN on this little device.

they do justify it with excellent after sales support, hence why their price to performance is far worse than mikrotik but their support is top notch and their firmware is the best for easy multi WAN load balancing. This is particularly why i suggested it because even though i dont like peplinks, cisco RVs and so on, but not everyone is a geek like we are.

Maybe ASUS BRT-AC828 can fit your requirement, which model equipped with 2GbE WAN, and come with OpenVPN/IPSecVPN, VLAN, USB NAS and internal RADUIS server.
https://www.asus.com/Business-Networking/BRT-AC828/

ASUS does have bugs, especially in relation to class B networks, its how i got my AC88U cheap.

 

[kvic]

they do justify it with excellent after sales support, hence why their price to performance is far worse than mikrotik but their support is top notch and their firmware is the best for easy multi WAN load balancing. This is particularly why i suggested it because even though i dont like peplinks, cisco RVs and so on, but not everyone is a geek like we are.

Well, when I looked at their outrageous premium, I said hopefully their support is superb..

IMO multi-WAN load balance is commodity technology. But since I haven't used Peplink..so I will ask in thinking maybe they get some superb technologies there too.

Can Peplink load balance requests from a single LAN client smoothly i.e. without breaking some websites/web apps?

 

[Cloud200]

Well, when I looked at their outrageous premium, I said hopefully their support is superb..

IMO multi-WAN load balance is commodity technology. But since I haven't used Peplink..so I will ask in thinking maybe they get some superb technologies there too.

Can Peplink load balance requests from a single LAN client smoothly i.e. without breaking some websites/web apps?

Yes they can.
Last time I used them was about 2 years ago to load balance across 4x DSL lines and a cable line. 2x 1.5m/1.5mbps with statics, 2x 7m/768kbps and a jittery 10m/1mbps. Client session persistence can be set up with a check box. They are using a few VoIP lines.
Not a single complaint since the install.

 

[kvic]

Yes they can.
Last time I used them was about 2 years ago to load balance across 4x DSL lines and a cable line. 2x 1.5m/1.5mbps with statics, 2x 7m/768kbps and a jittery 10m/1mbps. Client session persistence can be set up with a check box. They are using a few VoIP lines.
Not a single complaint since the install.

So it seems very easy to setup in Peplink. In UBNT edgeOS, people have to enter one CLI to turn on client session persistence/stickness. Prior to that a few more CLI's to enable load balance.

Beyond that seems both are equal wrt load balance as they can't load balance well from a single client. I wish someone could come up with a package to enhance that. Netfilter in latest Linux is so feature rich now I believe it's doable. Just a guess I never attempted.

 

[escape75]

I need some help on a router recommendation. Here are the minimum specs

1. Absolute dual-WAN capability with load balancing -- two WAN RJ45 ports. Even better if I can add a third USB interface for a cell backup.
2. At least 4 LAN ports. More is better.
3. Ability to interface with OpenVPN
4. A vendor that is willing to support individual users - no need to work through reseller/partner
5. Ease of use in a browser interface, especially in the areas of reserved (static) IP assignment, port forwarding and VLAN establishment.

A nice to have feature is a USB NAS connection.. Another nice feature would be an ability to manage connected device names through some type of MAC lookup feature.

I own three AC68U routers but the dual-WAN capability just doesn't seem to work. I've given up on them.

So I purchased a Cisco RV340W and the dual-WAN capability work great -- but Cisco is absolutely impossible to work with unless you are a big business. This router does not support OpenVPN and is has proven impossible to acquire the necessary licenses to install AnyConnect Client for Windows to enable VPN. You have to work only through authorized resellers/partners and none of them will work with an operation my size.

What else should I consider?

Did you ever get the RV340W L2TP/IPSEC going using the instructions posted:
https://supportforums.cisco.com/t5/...l2tp/td-p/3012017/page/2?attachment-id=126058

Also, you could look into appliances from Sophos, as you can install the free home firewall edition on them.
I'm looking into one myself, but the multiple WAN would of course cost a little more ...