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Date:      Thu, 14 Aug 1997 08:25:23 -0700 (PDT)
From:      "Rodney W. Grimes" <rgrimes@GndRsh.aac.dev.com>
To:        randyk@ccsales.com (Randy A. Katz)
Cc:        isp@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: Multi-homed - Load Balancing - No Single Point of Failure
Message-ID:  <199708141525.IAA17900@GndRsh.aac.dev.com>
In-Reply-To: <3.0.3.32.19970813222651.00a09d90@ccsales.com> from "Randy A. Katz" at "Aug 13, 97 10:26:51 pm"

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> ...yeah sure...
> 
> Given two upstream providers is it possible to use a single or two FreeBSD
> boxes to do BGP routing and load balancing? And if so, what equipment
> should we use? T1 Cards? Routers?
> 
> My current provider is telling us we need a Cisco 4700 (20-30,000). I was
> thinking if I could get a powerfull FreeBSD box (200MHz Pro/MMX with 128MB
> RAM) to do the routing it would be just as good and about 20,000 less
> expensive...please let me know if I'm off my rocker!

You don't even need that much power, a Pentium 166 with 128MB and
a dual sync serial card should do you just fine.  If you want router
redundacy use 2 of these only with single sync serial cards.  (Though
I would buy two duals anyway for future expansion).  I won't recommend
a sync card as I myself am still sitting on the fence about which one
to use :-).

The real fun part is getting an AS number out of InterNIC, and you'll
need one of those if you really are going to BGP4 peer and announce
routers to 2 uptream providers.  You'll also need your providers to
cooperate with you on this, and some of them only allow you to use Cisco's
if you want to BGP peer with them.

-- 
Rod Grimes                                      rgrimes@gndrsh.aac.dev.com
Accurate Automation, Inc.                   Reliable computers for FreeBSD



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