Draytek Router help

skookum · 29 Mar 2017 at 17:19

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone has any ideas to whether the following can be done.

We have two routers a Draytek 2930 connected to a Cisco 800 running a 30 mb leased line. As a back up we also have a 90mb FTTC running on a Draytek 2830.

The Draytek 2930 runs all our operations stuff, cloud software and VOIP phone system both wired and wireless. The Draytek 2830 runs redundant only supplying wireless connection for staff to use.

In the event of a leased line outage I manually unplug the 2930 from the switch and plug in the 2830. Ideally I would like to join the two routers together.

To be honest I find the 2930 dashboard a bit bewildering. Obviously they would have to have different IP addresses and DHCP turned off on one or the range changed.

I also do not want to use load balance, I only want to use the FTTC if the leased line is down.

Can it be done?

Orcvader · 29 Mar 2017 at 20:10

Haven't used the 2930 but did use the 2830, sounds like you want failover mode: http://www.draytek.com/en/faq/faq-c...ing-and-failover-for-multi-wan-vigor-routers/

Basically if the 2930 detects the main internet connection is down, it will use the backup connection until the main connection comes back up.

Liquidfox · 30 Mar 2017 at 20:28

Draytek 2930 has the 30Mb leased line into WAN1 with Ping detect turned on to something like 8.8.8.8
Draytek 2830 has the 90Mb FTTC plugged into WAN1, a cable from LAN1 on the 2830 plugs into WAN2 on the Draytek 2930.

2930 should be on 192.168.0.1, 2830 should be on 192.168.1.254. Configure WAN2 on 2930 to have a static IP of 192.168.1.1 and a gateway of 192.168.1.254.

2830 needs to be configured for DMZ to 192.168.1.1. 2930 needs NAT configured for both WAN1 and WAN2.

That's basically it.

Caged · 30 Mar 2017 at 23:37

Surely you have an FTTC modem connected to the 2830, so plug that into WAN2 on the 2930. Then throw the 2830 into a corner.

BigT · 31 Mar 2017 at 09:07

I was wondering that @Caged - the specs say its a dual WAN router and you have two WAN entry points. Why the need for another router?

If it's because you want BYOD devices to use a specific connection then I don't know the Drayteks well enough to know if/how they support that. I can talk about the principles of how I'd do something with Ubiquiti kit and a pfSense box.

1. I'd setup a failover gateway group for 'work' mahcines to be set to use from the router for a certain set of IP ranges that the DHCP server would allocate. This means all work machines will use the connections in the preference you want, failing over automatically
2. I'd have a different guest wireless network SSID for BYOD devices which would allocate a different set of IP ranges from the DHCP server and on the router set that traffic to just go through the WAN interface you want. In fact I might set the opposite priorities on a gateway group to failover in the opposite manner. That way no one is going without internet unless both connections go down.

skookum · 31 Mar 2017 at 19:01

Caged said:
Surely you have an FTTC modem connected to the 2830, so plug that into WAN2 on the 2930. Then throw the 2830 into a corner.

I like your thinking. However it is a 24/7 365 day a year company. The call centre must be operational throughout this time. Hence why I have kept two routers to cover the possibility of one failing. I also keep a spare POE switch in stock. Any downtime we have to cover with remote workers. Being a small company of less than 20 employees my budget is extremely small, well more like a pub whip round so I am having to use equipment available to me.

Previously I had a problem with Failover. The setup before our VoiP was installed was 90mb FTTC and a back up ADSL 30mb on the Draytek 2830. Our servers are located at Amazon and some DNS or routing problem occurred. The internet was connected but it couldn't connect to anything Amazon rendering the failover useless as the connection was not cut.

I suspect this is a highly rare thing to happen but I have been asked to find a solution just in case it ever happens again.

Caged · 31 Mar 2017 at 19:16

But they are two routers of differing abilities - the 2930 can do dual Ethernet WAN and the 2830 cannot. By all means keep the 2830 configured to use with your fibre circuit and have it available ready to swap in case the 2930 fails, but you're gaining nothing by trying to utilise both routers together, and won't be able to get the failover required.

Your requirements are out of step with your budget, to put it really politely. Using just the 2930 gives you the failover you seek, I don't think you can improve on that with the kit you have to hand.