Load Balancing VPN Connections With MikroTik RouterOS

As businesses and organizations grow, so does their need for reliable and fast internet connections. Thankfully, load balancing, a technique used to distribute network traffic evenly across multiple internet connections, is an effective solution to address this issue. The following article discusses how MikroTik, a popular networking equipment manufacturer, can be used to perform load balancing with two PPPoE and one static WAN using ECMP.

MikroTik Load Balancing with 2 PPPoE and 1 Static WAN using ECMP

Load Balancing with MikroTik

MikroTik's RouterOS operating system provides several load balancing options, including ECMP, which stands for equal cost multi-path. ECMP is a feature that allows traffic distribution across multiple routes with equal costs, providing redundancy and improved network performance by splitting traffic over available paths.

The following steps outline how to configure MikroTik's RouterOS to perform load balancing with two PPPoE connections and one static WAN using ECMP:

Step 1: Configuring RouterOS VLANs and IP Addresses

Before you begin configuration, ensure that the RouterOS has appropriate VLANs and IP addresses configured for the PPPoE and static WANs connections. You can perform this configuration using VLANs option under the "Interfaces" menu.

Step 2: Creating PPPoE Interfaces and Adding IP Addresses

Create two PPPoE interfaces using the "PPP" menu, and define a name, username, password, and service name to each interface. After creating the interfaces, add IP addresses and subnets.

Step 3: Setting Up Static WAN Connection

Configure your static WAN connection with the appropriate IP address and subnet using the "IP > Addresses" menu.

Step 4: Creating Routing Rules

Next, create routing rules to direct traffic over the appropriate interfaces. Under the "IP > Routes" menu, create two routing rules with the following settings:

Destination: 0.0.0.0/0
Gateway: PPPoE interface 1
Routing mark: PPPoE1

And

Destination: 0.0.0.0/0
Gateway: PPPoE interface 2
Routing mark: PPPoE2

Create one more routing rule for the static WAN connection:

Destination: 0.0.0.0/0
Gateway: Static WAN interface
Routing mark: StaticWAN

Step 5: Creating ECMP Policy

Under the "IP > Firewall > Mangle" menu, create a new ECMP policy rule with the following settings:

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Type: IP
Action: mark-routing
New routing mark: ecmp
Protocol: any

Next, create an ECMP policy rule for each interface:

Chain: Prerouting
In Interface: PPPoE1
Per-Connection Classifier: Yes
Action: mark-routing
New Routing Mark: PPPoE1

And

Chain: Prerouting
In Interface: PPPoE2
Per-Connection Classifier: Yes
Action: mark-routing
New Routing Mark: PPPoE2

Finally, create an ECMP policy rule for the static WAN connection:

Chain: Prerouting
In Interface: Static WAN
Per-Connection Classifier: Yes
Action: mark-routing
New Routing Mark: StaticWAN

Step 6: Verifying Load Balancing

After completing the above steps, you can verify that load balancing is working correctly by checking the router's status. Under the RouterOS's "IP > Route" menu, you must see multiple routing entries with equal costs for the same destination. This indicates that the router is splitting traffic across multiple paths. You can further validate by monitoring traffic on each interface or via third-party software.

Conclusion

Load balancing with MikroTik's RouterOS is an effective way to boost network performance and improve connectivity. By using ECMP policies, traffic can be evenly distributed across multiple connections, reducing the risk of downtime and improving network traffic performance. Follow the above steps to begin implementing load balancing with MikroTik and enjoy reliable and fast internet connectivity.