Multi-WAN routers, as the name suggests, are routers that come with two or more WAN Internet ports so you can connect to multiple Internet ISPs. These routers are also called dual-WAN routers, especially when they have only two ports. Why should you go for these routers? Lets take a deeper dive.

There are a few important benefits that these routers offer over traditional ones.

Multi-WAN routers are highly useful for those who need the Internet at all times and when even a few minutes of nonavailability can impact them in a big way. With multi-WAN routers, you dont have to rely on a single Internet ISP only and this is a big advantage when you live in an area with a patchy Internet connection. These routers allow you to have an Internet connection from two different ISPs, so even if one fails, you still have access to the other.

You can even configure the first connection as the primary and the other as a backup connection so that the backup will switch over when the main Internet connection fails.

These routers also help with Internet load balancing so you can enjoy a reliable Internet service at all times. When you use many applications such as web browsers, VPNs, streaming services, and emails, you tend to use high amounts of bandwidth and the entire load is passed to a single ISP in a traditional router setup. But with multi-WAN routers, this load is spread across two or more ISPs, so the overall Internet speed tends to be faster.

Lets understand this with a small example. Lets say you have an Internet connection that gives 2.5 Mbit/second. Now, if you add another service that also offers 2.5 Mbit/second, youll have a total bandwidth of 5 Mbit/second and the load will also get split between the two ISPs. The same works in session balancing too, as the sessions are spread across many ISPs.

Such balancing ensures that you have access to high-speed Internet at all times, regardless of the load and size of applications that use it.

Many dual-WAN routers come with L2TP VPN to help employees to securely connect to your network. Also, it allows you to encrypt traffic over public networks, thereby reducing the possibility of hacking or unauthorized reading of transmitted content.

Some routers come with additional features that enhance their usability and performance. A few have a built-in DNS proxy, so users dont have to define their own DNS providers while others have content-based and geo-based blocking services.

Overall, multi-WAN routers increase security, reliability, speed, and load balancing and through it all improves the performance of your router and gives you continuous access to the Internet at all times.

Now that you know what are multi-WAN routers, lets take a look at some of the best ones, in no particular order.

Here are some of the best routers available today.

Cisco Systems Gigabit dual VPN 14 port router is ideal for those who need a combination of performance and flexibility. It is also backed by the experience of Cisco Systems, one of the pioneers in this area.

Cisco

Some of the important features of this router are:

This router makes it easy to connect with many Internet service providers to give you automatic failover and enhanced performance. It also gives you the option to independently manage your links and increase your bandwidth at any time.

Peplink

The salient features of Peplink balance 20 dual-WAN router are:

This router is designed to provide high-speed connections on both WAN and LAN ports. Besides, it comes loaded with many high-security VPN capabilities that are sure to come in handy for organizations of all sizes.

TP-Link

The features of this router are:

Linksys packs a ton of features into this router along with load balancing and failover to provide a highly reliable Internet connection for personal and organizational use. Its VPN capabilities make it easy for employees to connect to your network from any remote location.

Linksys

Here are some of the top features of Linksys business dual-WAN Gigabit VPN router.

This is a simple and low-cost router that works well for homes and small businesses that need an uninterrupted Internet connection. Though it provides fewer connection points when compared to other routers, it makes up with a host of features aimed to provide high levels of usability and extensibility.

Ubiquiti

The important features of this router are:

While this is not a comprehensive list of all dual-WAN routers, we hope it introduces you to some of the popular ones and their features.

Dual-WAN or multi-WAN routers give you reliable Internet at all times coupled with load balancing and security. They are most essential for those who are likely to get impacted even with short Internet outages and for those who want to combine the bandwidth of two or more providers.

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