Apple Time Capsule w/Load Balance Router

[Coleman2010]

I have two cable modems at home so I decided to activate the second cable modem and purchase a TP-Link TL-R470T+ load-balancing router to combine the two lines.

My current setup:

Motorola sb6141 cable modem > WAN of Apple Time Capsule NAT enabled > WiFi Network

New setup:

2 Motorola sb6141 cable modems > TP-Link TL-R470T+ load balancer > WAN of Apple Time Capsule NAT enabled > WiFi Network

Suggestions how to configure the load balancer with the Apple Time Capsule so the Time Capsule still does NAT and NAT is not done twice on the load balancer and again on the Time Capsule?

 

[Coleman2010]

No one has installed a load balancer?

 

[Weaselboy]

You would want the TP-Link device to handle DHCP and NAT and just put the Time Capsule in bridge mode.

Just go to this screen in Airport Utility and set it up.

 

[Altemose]

I have two cable modems at home so I decided to activate the second cable modem and purchase a TP-Link TL-R470T+ load-balancing router to combine the two lines.

My current setup:

Motorola sb6141 cable modem > WAN of Apple Time Capsule NAT enabled > WiFi Network

New setup:

2 Motorola sb6141 cable modems > TP-Link TL-R470T+ load balancer > WAN of Apple Time Capsule NAT enabled > WiFi Network

Suggestions how to configure the load balancer with the Apple Time Capsule so the Time Capsule still does NAT and NAT is not done twice on the load balancer and again on the Time Capsule?

There are two ways to do this. The first is to disable the TP-Link's DHCP server. This how ever is not a true "bridge mode" so to speak. I can help if thats the way you want to go. However, the easier way is to let the TP-Link function as the DHCP server and the NAT device on the network. Then set your AirPort to Bridge Mode.

 

[unplugme71]

I would use your Airport as an access point instead of providing DHCP services. I would turn off DHCP on your load balancer as well and use OS X Server to issue DHCP leases if you have OS X server installed.

 

[Coleman2010]

There are two ways to do this. The first is to disable the TP-Link's DHCP server. This how ever is not a true "bridge mode" so to speak. I can help if thats the way you want to go. However, the easier way is to let the TP-Link function as the DHCP server and the NAT device on the network. Then set your AirPort to Bridge Mode.

If I disable DHCP on the TP-Link how will it load balance the time capsule? I want to load balance over the two WAN ports on the TP Link.

I would rather leave the Time Capsule as the DHCP server because I have assigned IP addresses setup, custom routing and port forwarding already setup.

I just want to use the load balancer to combine the two cable modem connections.

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I would use your Airport as an access point instead of providing DHCP services. I would turn off DHCP on your load balancer as well and use OS X Server to issue DHCP leases if you have OS X server installed.

I do not have OS X server installed. I do have a 2012 Mac Pro with 4 x 2TB drives I could install OS X Server on. But that would require me redoing my entire setup.

What would be the benefit of running OS X server?

 

[Altemose]

If I disable DHCP on the TP-Link how will it load balance the time capsule? I want to load balance over the two WAN ports on the TP Link.

I would rather leave the Time Capsule as the DHCP server because I have assigned IP addresses setup, custom routing and port forwarding already setup.

I just want to use the load balancer to combine the two cable modem connections.

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I do not have OS X server installed. I do have a 2012 Mac Pro with 4 x 2TB drives I could install OS X Server on. But that would require me redoing my entire setup.

What would be the benefit of running OS X server?

I responded to your PM. If you have to question that you'd want OS X server then you don't really need it. Essentially you could use the Mac Pro as a NAS device with roaming profiles on your local network. Say you have a MacBook Pro and an iMac. You sign in as John Smith on the MBP make changes and log out. Then you sign in as John Smith on the iMac, your account will follow you so long as you are on the LAN or VPN'd in.

You could also make the Mac Pro the router, but since you have this equipment why bother.

 

[Coleman2010]

So I purchased the wrong router. Last week I bought the TP-Link TL-R470T+ which is 10/100. I need a Gigabit load balancer. I returned the router to Amazon and I have the TP-Link TL-ER5120 arriving tomorrow. The goal being to combine two cable modems to achieve +200Mbps down 11Mbps up with load balancing.

 

[Coleman2010]

I setup the TP-Link TL-ER5120 load balancer.

1st WAN 100MB/5MB
2nd WAN 50MB/5MB

These are my speed test results.

 

[Coleman2010]

Now that's good load balancing.