Configuring MikroTik Routers For VPN Load Balancing

Have you ever wondered how you can improve the internet speed at your home or office? One way to do that is by using multiple internet connections and having a load balancing setup. I came across this interesting video on YouTube that explains how you can achieve that using Mikrotik router.

Load balancing is where you distribute incoming traffic among multiple internet connections. By doing this, you not only improve the speed but also ensure that if one connection goes down, the other connections can still provide internet access.

In this video, the instructor explains how to setup load balancing using two WAN connections. Here is a brief explanation:

Firstly, you need to have two internet connections. It could be any type of connection like Cable, DSL, Fiber, or even a mobile hotspot.
You also need a Mikrotik router. Mikrotik is a popular brand of routers that offers a range of features.
Now you need to configure each WAN connection on the router. You will need to provide the IP address, subnet mask, gateway, and DNS server information for each connection.
Once you have configured the WAN connections, you need to set up the load balancing rules. This is where you define how the incoming traffic will be distributed. You can use different strategies like round-robin, least-loaded, or failover.
The instructor explains how to configure each strategy step-by-step using the web interface of the router.
Finally, you need to set up NAT (Network Address Translation) rules so that the outgoing traffic is sent through the correct WAN connection. This is important to ensure that the internet service providers don't get confused by the multiple connections.

Once you have done all these steps, you should have a load balancing setup that will use both internet connections and distribute the traffic evenly.

Now, you might be wondering why you need load balancing in the first place. Here are some reasons:

Improved speed: By using multiple connections, you can increase the speed of your internet. You will be able to download and upload files faster, and your browsing experience will be smoother.
Redundancy: If one connection goes down, you still have the other connection to fall back on. This is useful if you depend on the internet for your work.
Cost-effective: Instead of getting a single high-speed connection, you can get two or more lower-speed connections and combine them to get the same speed. This could be more cost-effective, especially in areas where high-speed internet is expensive.
Load distribution: If you have a large number of users on your network, load balancing can distribute the traffic among the connections and prevent any single connection from being overloaded.

However, load balancing is not without its challenges. Here are some things to keep in mind:

Compatibility: Not all routers support load balancing, so you need to make sure that your router is capable of doing it.
Configuration: Setting up load balancing can be complex, especially if you are not familiar with networking concepts.
Network stability: If you have a unstable network, load balancing might not work as expected.
Shared IPs: Some websites and services might block your IP address if multiple users are using the same IP through load balancing.

In conclusion, load balancing is a great way to improve your internet speed and ensure redundancy. With the help of a Mikrotik router, you can set up load balancing easily and efficiently. However, you need to be aware of the challenges and limitations before going ahead with it.