Combine five internet providers into one for your office.
Combine five internet providers into one for your office.
Networking isn't my strong suit, but I've been asked to handle IT matters in the office. The challenge is merging five different ISPs—one per floor—into a single network. We need to connect all floors to the NAS in the server room. I don't want them sharing a single IP range like 192.168.1.xxx, which could limit the IPs available for devices. Instead, I require a solution that can integrate five ISPs and generate multiple IP ranges (e.g., 192.168.1.xx to 192.168.5.xx), allowing each floor to access the NAS and other resources seamlessly. Something educational would be great!
Can we remove some of these links? Having one or two faster connections makes more sense here. A router can handle this, as most business-grade routers with enough ports can. PFSense, Untangle, SonicWall, Fortinet can all do it. I’d like a networking expert to assist if you haven’t done this before.
Thanks for the update. I'll begin searching for those items. I'm confident someone with relevant experience will assist me with this. Regarding your query, I can't eliminate them as we already possess them and must utilize them regardless. We have several units available because some floors include VIP rooms that require faster speeds to avoid interference from other staff. Appreciate your support.
You can adjust the importance of connections. Having fewer quicker links is usually preferable, especially when users need fast loading. It's better to have two 500MB connections than five 200MB ones in this case.
I see your point. You need a solution where each floor (team) gets a unique ISP, but you don’t want a full load balancer. You’re looking for a device that can handle 5 or more ISP inputs and allow them to connect across networks like NAS, printers, or web GUIs. I’m checking for options that make this easy to set up.
Essentially all premium routers can handle this, just ensure you choose one with sufficient ports and configure the routes properly. However, this approach seems like poor network planning; it would be far better to build the network from the ground up rather than adding this later.
This design is quite complex and will need a solid grasp of concepts like VLANs and routing. You won't find a ready-made plug-and-play solution. I recall someone talking about the Fortigate, which could be a solid alternative. It provides a strong foundation for expanding your network later. I'm not sure if all ports can be used as WAN ports on the lower models like the 60E, but a 60E plus SD-WAN setup might work. You may need additional switches if you don't have them already.
I understand, I've been working hard to absorb as much information as possible in just a few days. Your comments about plug-and-play might be helpful. It looks like the devices I'm focusing on are Fortigate models. Thanks for your patience.
This section reminded me of past experiences where I was criticized. Fortunately, I can grasp what you’re trying to convey. This part is exactly what I feel I need right now! Thanks a lot. I still have much to process, but I know what steps to take from here. THANK YOU!!!