Assist in configuring WAN failover setup
Assist in configuring WAN failover setup
I added another ISP to my home network for WAN failover using a TP Link FR365 router. For context, I’m connected to AT&T Fiber (1Gbps) via a BGW-210 gateway as the main WAN (WAN2 on the router), and also have Verizon 5G home internet (300Mbps) with an ARC-XCI55AX gateway as the secondary WAN (WAN/LAN3). The TP Link device is set to default WAN2, which has been known to be inconsistent. When that connection drops, it should switch to the Verizon ISP (WAN3). Both gateways are configured in passthrough mode. However, the router displays local IP addresses (like 192.168.xx) for each WAN port instead of the public IPs coming from the ISP gateways. The network seems to function but feels like a relay point, similar to when I disconnect the ONT from AT&T—it doesn’t trigger the failover. I’m unsure what adjustments are needed on the devices’ IP settings or DHCP configurations. I added the TP Link device to Festa’s cloud management, where I set up failover and load balancing, but the app shows the device as offline, preventing it from applying those changes. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated—especially regarding DHCP settings and static IP assignments for each device.
I adjusted DHCP settings on both routers manually. The AT&T router was disabled, while the Verizon router turned it off automatically after enabling IP passthrough. Despite this, I remain connected to the AT&T network and can reach the TP Link router as a relay. The TP Link router operates on a separate subnet (192.168.0.x) compared to the ISP routers (192.168.1.x), but I’m unsure if that affects connectivity. I still have internet access through the TP Link device, and both admin interfaces are reachable at their static IPs. However, I can’t ping either ISP’s public IP address.
After further adjustments, it seems the TP Link router (Festa FR365) is not functioning properly. It no longer broadcasts WiFi and can't connect to the LAN, even after several restarts and a hard reset. I’m considering returning it to Amazon. Do you have any suggestions for a solid dual or multi-WAN router? I want something without a cloud-based controller—especially since the Festa controller has been problematic. Dual-band support (2.4 and 5GHz) would be ideal, and I’d appreciate a device that includes ISP bonding, which isn’t available on most consumer models. Gigabit Ethernet is fine, but I’m worried about potential bottlenecks if I need to handle higher throughputs.
I purchased a Cisco RV340, an Ubiquiti U6+, and a PoE+ injector for it. All items should arrive tomorrow according to the documentation. I’m still unsure about the IP assignments and DHCP setup. From the manual, it looks straightforward, but I’m confused about which router needs DHCP enabled—just the one connecting both ISP gateways or each separately? I plan to keep the AT&T gateway on the 192.168.1.x network, considering switching the Verizon gateway’s static IP to 192.168.2.x (currently it stays on 192.168.1.x). My DHCP server should then cover the 192.168.0.x subnet, while the AT&T gateway remains on the same subnet. The AT&T BGW-210 in passthrough mode seems to behave oddly; I can disable DHCP and switch it to passthrough, but IP assignment still happens as if it’s active. It might be because the lease hasn’t expired yet. The Verizon gateway was easy to configure—it automatically disabled WiFi and IP when I enabled passthrough.
Their method of bypassing is terrible based on what I've heard. That's why some individuals have discovered alternative approaches to go through the entrance. It's really frustrating considering all the information I've seen.
I've attempted to work around the gateway before by using a pfSense router that mimicked the MAC address of the gateway, allowing it to connect with the separate ONT. It seems AT&T likely updated their firmware, preventing proper negotiation and making the BGW-210 obsolete. Eventually, I established the home network layout as follows: The Verizon gateway is located upstairs in the 'game room' for optimal 5G reception. The AT&T gateway is downstairs in the living room, linked to the ONT outside via SRV-2 inside a media enclosure in one of the closets. Both the Cisco router and Netgear switch reside in the media enclosure, pulling LAN from each ISP router and forwarding it through the switch to all RJ45 ports. The yellow port heading to the kitchen includes a PoE+ injector before entering the media enclosure, where I'll install the Ubiquiti AP on the ceiling. This setup should work well if I can properly configure each ISP router and the Cisco router.
Just a brief note – everything is now functioning smoothly with the Cisco RV340. It’s an enterprise-level device and I’m really satisfied with its performance. I opted for failover mode rather than adjusting both WAN ports to priority 1 for load balancing. After that, I set up network detection to use Google DNS (8.8.8.8) instead of the default gateway, since it’s more likely the AT&T connection would be affected than my own router. I confirmed the failover works by disconnecting the AT&T gateway from the ONT.
Regarding DHCP and subnets, when I enabled bridge mode on the ISP routers (passsthrough), they simply forwarded the public IP to the Cisco router, which appears in each WAN connection on the admin panel. This didn’t affect the subnet selection for my local network. Still, I updated the static IP and DHCP server on the Cisco router to point to 192.168.80.x, as my work VPN uses that range to avoid compatibility issues.
The Ubiquiti U6+ AP is a great addition – mounted in the kitchen, it covers both 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands well. It delivers around 600-700Mbps when near the AP, and my desktop PCs get full Gigabit speeds on the LAN.
Here’s the current media enclosure arrangement (with ISP gateways in other parts of the house): I’m hoping this gives me a stable internet connection now that I have two providers and automatic failover. It took some time to get everything working, but I’m pleased with the outcome.