Question:WAN Aggregation on RT-AX88U?

[croc1977]

https://www.asus.com/sg/support/FAQ/1039053/

I have purchase this router for months...im thinking cancel my mio tv early next year and subscribe a secondary line...esp now anytime got WFH again ...i need a uptime due to work also....

i would like to check on this feature . Currently i am on starhub 1Gbps. (may also migrate cos contract end early next year also)


So if i have subscribe to 2 ISP. Lets say SH and M1 . is this only for Redundacy only or ? kinda confuse...

also the network ports are only 1Gbps ? why keep saying will give me 2Gbps? does it means 1+1Gbps ?

 

[sadboy]

https://www.asus.com/sg/support/FAQ/1039053/

I have purchase this router for months...im thinking cancel my mio tv early next year and subscribe a secondary line...esp now anytime got WFH again ...i need a uptime due to work also....

i would like to check on this feature . Currently i am on starhub 1Gbps. (may also migrate cos contract end early next year also)


So if i have subscribe to 2 ISP. Lets say SH and M1 . is this only for Redundacy only or ? kinda confuse...

also the network ports are only 1Gbps ? why keep saying will give me 2Gbps? does it means 1+1Gbps ?

If you sign up both SH and M1 you get redundancy if only either one ISP goes down.

But If your fiber cable get cut (due to roadwork and etc) you may lost connection to both ISP. (From your home to the exchange)

the 2gbps refers to WAN link Aggregation

1gbps M1 + 1gbps SH = 2 Gbps (provided both plans are 1gbps). But the connection from the router to your PC via cable is still Max 1 gbps.

 

[croc1977]

If you sign up both SH and M1 you get redundancy if only either one ISP goes down.

But If your fiber cable get cut (due to roadwork and etc) you may lost connection to both ISP. (From your home to the exchange)

the 2gbps refers to WAN link Aggregation

1gbps M1 + 1gbps SH = 2 Gbps (provided both plans are 1gbps). But the connection from the router to your PC via cable is still Max 1 gbps.

so 1+1 is only for redundacy and not download/speed performance?

 

[FlushX]

Can't add them up to get more than 1Gbps speed on your client device. Like what you said, it's for failover or load balancing.

 

[deathblade82]

Likely scenario is get a 500mbps line from 2 different ISPs, link aggreate to form a single 1gbps line when both lines are running. If any 1 link goes down, do fail over to the other. That's the best I can think of.

 

[xiaofan]

so 1+1 is only for redundacy and not download/speed performance?

It's said combining 1+1Gbps to get 2Gbps can be done with higher end routers.

So far no one has achieved this with Asus consumer routers. But there is a discussion on going in the AX86U+AX82U thread to see whether it is possible with AX86U or not.

And you can still argue that 1+1 Gbps can still be for speed. Say you have two PCs and each can achieve 1Gbps at the same time. If with 1Gbps plan, then both can not achieve 1Gbps at the same time, rather both will get 500Mbps, or one get 600Mbps and the other 400Mbps.

 

[croc1977]

It's said combining 1+1Gbps to get 2Gbps can be done with higher end routers.

So far no one has achieved this with Asus consumer routers. But there is a discussion on going in the AX86U+AX82U thread to see whether it is possible with AX86U or not.

And you can still argue that 1+1 Gbps can still be for speed. Say you have two PCs and each can achieve 1Gbps at the same time. If with 1Gbps plan, then both can not achieve 1Gbps at the same time, rather both will get 500Mbps, or one get 600Mbps and the other 400Mbps.

so i should get starhub 1gbps and maybe m1 or wc 500mb as 2nd line since there is no point getting full 1gbps and 2nd line

why you said this feature is not available on my router? means asus lie about the router specs?

 

[xiaofan]

so i should get starhub 1gbps and maybe m1 or wc 500mb as 2nd line since there is no point getting full 1gbps and 2nd line

why you said this feature is not available on my router? means asus lie about the router specs?

Asus does not lie. Local ISPs are the problem.

From the other thread.

No chance with local ISPs as the ONT/ONR do not support LACP IEEE 802.3ad.

Ref: Asus FAQ
https://www.asus.com/sg/support/FAQ/1039053/
[WAN] How to enable WAN Aggregation on RT-AX88U?

WAN Aggregation combines two Gigabit networks to increase the bandwidth up to 2 Gigabits. Please note that the modem connected to your RT-AX88U must support LACP-IEEE 802.3ad to make sure WAN Aggregation works.

 

[miloaisdino]

so i should get starhub 1gbps and maybe m1 or wc 500mb as 2nd line since there is no point getting full 1gbps and 2nd line

why you said this feature is not available on my router? means asus lie about the router specs?

dual wan will work but not link aggregation. dual wan can be set in loadbalance mode to maximise bandwidth when both connections are up, and failover to the other when 1 isp is down. you may encounter issues with certain sites/services which require requests to only originate from a single public ip. i dont think it would be very major as singtel used to implement a roundrobin transparent proxy years ago which randomises your public ip from their proxy pool every request anyways besides theres always ip based rules to force 1 wan over the other

 

[xiaofan]

It's said combining 1+1Gbps to get 2Gbps can be done with higher end routers.

So far no one has achieved this with Asus consumer routers. But there is a discussion on going in the AX86U+AX82U thread to see whether it is possible with AX86U or not.

Ref: old Viewquest 1+1 Gbps plan, need to have high end mikrotik router to get 2Gbps to one PC. This plan is no longer available from Viewquest.

Probably the same type of mikrotik router can do the same for other dual 1Gbps plan now : Starhub 2Gbps plan, MyRepublic 1+1Gbps plan and SingTel 1+1 Gbps Gamer plan.

Reference:
https://www.superadrianme.com/technology/viewqwest-2gbps-fiber-broadband-review/

2Gbps to 1PC and Multi Networks setup

You can optimise ViewQwest 2Gbps fiber broadband by using a high end router such as the MikroTik CCR1009-8G-1S-1S+PC to create a 2Gbps LAN connection to your PC, but this is really not necessary for most home users.

 

[croc1977]

Asus does not lie. Local ISPs are the problem.

From the other thread.

so confirm our local ISP ONT/ONR do not support LACP IEEE 802.3ad.?

So without this Wan Argression will not work rite? even whatever local isp i subscribe rite?

 

[FlushX]

You can check with the technical department of whichever ISP you are interested in. So far I have not seen any ONT/ONR locally that supports 802.3ad. The standard reason should be due to cost. Replacing an entire fleet of ONT/ONR is not cheap.

Unlike routers, telcos generally do not charge consumer for the ONT/ONR. Although 1 might argue it's already factored into the monthly subscription. But still... At the end of the day, they need to make $ also.

so confirm our local ISP ONT/ONR do not support LACP IEEE 802.3ad.?

So without this Wan Argression will not work rite? even whatever local isp i subscribe rite?

 

[xiaofan]

so confirm our local ISP ONT/ONR do not support LACP IEEE 802.3ad.?

So without this Wan Argression will not work rite? even whatever local isp i subscribe rite?

Confirm that WAN Aggregation will not work with Asus AX88U (or AX86U) with local ISP 2Gbps plan or dual 1Gbps plan.

Dual WAN load balancing will work.
Ref: Asus Dual WAN FAQ
https://www.asus.com/sg/support/FAQ/1011719/

As per the expert you may hit above 1Gbps with SpeedTest or other multithreaded applications. But I have doubts since I have not seen the testing results yet to prove the theory.

it will increase. speedtest on single thread will NOT increase as load balance is by connection session (ie, source and dest port/ip pair). however most high speed download clients eg bittorrent, steam, speedtest.net are multithreaded so overall speed will increase to over 1gbps. this has been illustrated in youtube demos

 

[uncle_josh]

Based on the link provided, Asus already said can.
You just need to check with your ISP, ensure the modem has enabled 802.3ad

https://www.asus.com/sg/support/FAQ/1039053/

I have purchase this router for months...im thinking cancel my mio tv early next year and subscribe a secondary line...esp now anytime got WFH again ...i need a uptime due to work also....

i would like to check on this feature . Currently i am on starhub 1Gbps. (may also migrate cos contract end early next year also)


So if i have subscribe to 2 ISP. Lets say SH and M1 . is this only for Redundacy only or ? kinda confuse...

also the network ports are only 1Gbps ? why keep saying will give me 2Gbps? does it means 1+1Gbps ?

 

[miloaisdino]

Based on the link provided, Asus already said can.
You just need to check with your ISP, ensure the modem has enabled 802.3ad

Sorry, but i hope this can be stickied:
802.3ad is only for link bonding, ie 2 ethernet links are bonded for up to 2gbps throughput between a single gateway and ip pair.

redundancy in the form of failover can be done With or Without LACP/802.3ad.

Lastly, bandwidth can be aggregated between isps or 1gbps connections from the same isp without 802.3ad by using Dual Wan (roundrobin load balance of connections). Caveat is that single connection cannot burst beyond individual link capacity (eg 1gbps), but up to 2gbps can be achieved by using multithreaded applications, eg speedtest.net, torrent, steam, windows update, http downloads over download manager eg IDM. However this is not a significant issue as it is unlikely a single tcp session can achieve >1gbps throughput anyways!!

No isp in sg offers 2gbps connections via LACP/802.3ad. the closest is the legacy viewqwest plan that utilised static link bonding.

 

[xiaofan]

Sorry, but i hope this can be stickied:
802.3ad is only for link bonding, ie 2 ethernet links are bonded for up to 2gbps throughput between a single gateway and ip pair.

redundancy in the form of failover can be done With or Without LACP/802.3ad.

...

No isp in sg offers 2gbps connections via LACP/802.3ad. the closest is the legacy viewqwest plan that utilised static link bonding.

Take note the requirement of LACP/802.3ad comes from Asus for WAN Aggregation feature.

So basically WAN aggregation feature will not work for Singapore ISPs.

Asus FAQ
https://www.asus.com/us/support/FAQ/1039053/

[WAN] How to enable WAN Aggregation on RT-AX88U?

WAN Aggregation combines two Gigabit networks to increase the bandwidth up to 2 Gigabits. Please note that the modem connected to your RT-AX88U must support LACP-IEEE 802.3ad to make sure WAN Aggregation works.

***
Then Asus has another FAQ for dual WAN which talks about Failover and Load Balance.
https://www.asus.com/sg/support/FAQ/1011719/

 

[xiaofan]

Same for Netgear when it comes to WAN Aggregation.

https://kb.netgear.com/000060873/Ho...-on-my-NETGEAR-Nighthawk-Tri-Band-AX12-router

Ethernet port aggregation between two devices allows your devices to treat multiple Ethernet links as if they were a single link. Aggregating two network connections increases bandwidth and provides network redundancy if one link fails.

Your NETGEAR Nighthawk Tri-Band AX12 supports WAN and LAN aggregation. An aggregated WAN connection is connected to your Internet Service Provider (ISP). The benefits of WAN aggregation include seamless multi-gig connectivity and the full speed of your ISP connection for the connected device. Note: The modem that you connect to your Tri-Band AX12 router must support Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP).

 

[xiaofan]

Netgear LAN aggregation.

https://kb.netgear.com/000060872/Ho...-on-my-NETGEAR-Nighthawk-Tri-Band-AX12-router

Ethernet port aggregation between two devices allows your devices to treat multiple Ethernet links as if they were a single link. Aggregating two network connections increases bandwidth and provides network redundancy if one link fails.

Your NETGEAR Nighthawk Tri-Band AX12 supports WAN and LAN aggregation. LAN aggregation affects the devices connected to your router. The benefits of LAN aggregation include more throughput and bandwidth for connected devices and network redundancy if one link fails.
Note: The device that you connect to your Tri-Band AX12 router must support Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP).

 

[xiaofan]

Sorry, but i hope this can be stickied:
802.3ad is only for link bonding, ie 2 ethernet links are bonded for up to 2gbps throughput between a single gateway and ip pair.

...

No isp in sg offers 2gbps connections via LACP/802.3ad. the closest is the legacy viewqwest plan that utilised static link bonding.

So in the end it is just terminalogy usage difference. You use the word "bonding", router vendors use the word "aggregation".

Router vendors differtiate WAN aggregation (up stream, or the ISP) and LAN/Link aggregation (down stream, devices connected to the router).

This "bonding" or "aggregation" requires support of LACP (802.3ad), either upstream (ISP ONT/ONT) for WAN aggregation, or downstream (device, with dual sport Ethernet, like NAS or PC) for LAN/Link aggregation.

 

[miloaisdino]

Take note the requirement of LACP/802.3ad comes from Asus for WAN Aggregation feature.

So basically WAN aggregation feature will not work for Singapore ISPs.

Asus FAQ
https://www.asus.com/us/support/FAQ/1039053/

[WAN] How to enable WAN Aggregation on RT-AX88U?

WAN Aggregation combines two Gigabit networks to increase the bandwidth up to 2 Gigabits. Please note that the modem connected to your RT-AX88U must support LACP-IEEE 802.3ad to make sure WAN Aggregation works.

***
Then Asus has another FAQ for dual WAN which talks about Failover and Load Balance.
https://www.asus.com/sg/support/FAQ/1011719/

yeah, i think asus terminology is actually kinda confusing for most people. when they say wan aggregation, they actually refer to link bonding (eg lacp/802.3ad),

when what most people are trying to achieve is actually failover between isps or "combining bandwidth" to a total of 2gbps, both of which are dual wan features and not "wan aggregation"!

To put it simply, 802.1ad allows the combination of ethernet links to create a single logical link allowing a shared layer 2 to exist in which single layer 3 interfaces can operate within as the aggregation is occurring at layer 1/2.

On the other hand, load balancing (dual wan) is purely a layer 3/4 solution which splits connections per network socket (layer 4) originating through the asus router in a roundrobin fashion between layer 3 (ip) gateways accessible through each ethernet link. When asus mentions the "combination of gigabit networks", they are in fact referring to layer 1 networks (physical ethernet link) and not layer 3 as in dual wan.

In addition, there is practically no real use for lacp as a viable redundancy solution in home networks, as outages not due to router fault are usually caused by ont/onr issues or upstream isp issues. lacp is to provide redundancy against Physical link failure (eg breakage of ther ethernet cable from your asus to the onr), and not isp failure.

hopes this helps (in enterprise networking the term link bonding is more commonly used to avoid confusion!)