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RAX200 Internet Failover?

Kenny782
Aspirant

RAX200 Internet Failover?

I'm considering buying an RAX200 and somehow I doubt the routing functionality is advanced enough but thought I'd ask.

 

So while the Netgear may not be able to handle a USB LTE Modem, my older Sonicwall can and provide an ethernet connection for the Nighthawk connect to it with.

And it could handle exactly what I'm looking to do below, unfortunately it can't handle as much bandwith going through it on my primary connection given it's age, it's just old TZ unit.

 

So what I want to do is quite simple, I want to provide two ethernet paths to the internet. One providing a gig primary connection the other providing an LTE backup, from reading it looks like this model does support WAN link aggregation for two internet connections. However that's not what I'm trying to do obviously, nothing should touch the LTE connection unless the primary goes out.

 

Technically I could possibly create a second default route with a higher metric passing traffic to the sonicwall.

After enough packets dropped the Nighthawk may forward it to sonicwall but I highly doubt they designed the RAX200 to handle this but maybe someone can correct me?

Normally the sonicwall just monitors connectivity on all WAN connections and activates the secondary until the primary starts responding again. Other that that the secondary is nomrally quiet except for optional monitoring unless you've explicitly routed something through it on purpose.

 

Thanks,

 

Kenny

 

Model: RAX200|Nighthawk Tri-band AX12 12-Stream Wi-Fi 6 Router
Message 1 of 5
plemans
Guru

Re: RAX200 Internet Failover?

The RAX200 doesn't have dual wan (other than wan aggregation, not the same) for wan failover. 

If you're really wanting the RAX200 for its wifi, I'd look at a dual wan router like an edge router. Use that for the routing capabilities and then put the rax200 in access point mode. 

Or if your sonicwall can handle dual wan, use it as the router and the RAX as the access point

Message 2 of 5
Kenny782
Aspirant

Re: RAX200 Internet Failover?

That's what I expected to here, basically what you're describing is what I did with my old nighthawk and the sonicwall.

I didn't bother put it in AP mode though, I just disabled DHCP on one device and created a static route with a lower metric than the default forcing all internet traffic through one of the nighthawk's LAN ports to the sonicwall.

 

They may have fixed it but in AP mode when I first bought the old nighthawk the onboard switching didn't work right and I didn't feel like buying a switch so that worked just as well.

If they never fixed it then I'd do the same since I have use for link aggregation (for my nas) and 2.5G for my media center server.

 

The only issue repeating that previous setup is like I said it's an older sonicwall it can't handle almost a gig of bandwith going through it. This one max's out around at 350 meg. Buying a new Sonicwall is roughly the same cost as an RAX200 so big chunk of change.

Same setup would work here but cost about 1,300 when combined.

 

oh well I'll figure it out lol, I guess I expect too much from a $700 router. With 5G around I would have worked on support via USB or an onboard radio. Creating a blazing all in one router with failover optional, with people working from home the feature had a market.

But given their fixed wireless routers I guess they wanted to make sure they could still sell the other product line.

 

Anyway I'm rambline, thanks for the reply I appreciate it.

 

Message 3 of 5
Kenny782
Aspirant

Re: RAX200 Internet Failover?

BTW If anyone knows of a Tri-Band Dual WAN router exists let me know but I can't find one and highly doubt it exists or will exist for a quite a while.

Message 4 of 5
plemans
Guru

Re: RAX200 Internet Failover?

I've seen people use something like the edge router that supports dual wan (and is reasonably priced) that then goes to a RAX as wireless access point

Message 5 of 5
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