Configure WAN bonding on your local device

Note support must be enabled in Digi Remote Manager. Contact your Digi sales representative for information.

You must also set up the WAN bonding server. This can be done using one of three mechanisms:

  • Set up a WAN bonding server on physical hardware or a Virtual Private Server (VPS) in your local environment. See Bondix documentation for instructions.
  • Unwired Networks maintains a number of WAN Bonding servers throughout the world, focused mainly on locations in the United States, Europe, and Australia. Contact them for WAN bonding hosting and configuration services.
  • Digi Professional Services can setup, manage, and maintain your WAN bonding servers.

You can also setup a trial server at the Bondix website for testing purposes.

Required configuration items

Additional configuration items


  1. Log into Digi Remote Manager, or log into the local Web UI as a user with full Admin access rights.
  2. Access the device configuration:

    1. Locate your device as described in Use Digi Remote Manager to view and manage your device.
    2. Click the Device ID.
    3. Click Settings.
    4. Click to expand Config.

    1. On the menu, click System. Under Configuration, click Device Configuration.

      The Configuration window is displayed.

  3. Click Network > SD-WAN > WAN bonding.

    4. Note The WAN bonding service must be enabled for this device in Digi Remote Manager. Contact your Digi sales representative for information.

  4. Click the toggle to Enable WAN bonding.
  5. Click to expand Servers.

    1. Click to add a server.

    2. For Hostname, type the hostname or IPv4 address of the external server hosting the WAN bonding server.

    3. (Optional) For Host Port, type the port number that the external server uses for the WAN bonding connection. The default is 443.

    4. (Optional) For Channel UDP Listener Port, type the number of the UDP port for the external hosting server. The default is 44343.

      5. Repeat procedure to add additional servers.

  6. For Tunnel username and Tunnel password, type the username and password to authenticate with the WAN bondingserver. These values are created when you configure device-specific tunnel settings on the WAN bonding server.

  7. From the Common value menu, select Require override:

  8. Select for Tunnel password.

  9. From the Common value menu, select Require override:

  10. For Zone, select the firewall zone for the bonded interface. To treat the interface as a normal WAN interface, this would be set at the default of External.
  11. Configure the device's WAN interfaces that will be bonded:

    1. Click to expand Bonding interfaces.

    2. Click to add an interface.

    3. For Interfaces, select a WAN interface to be bonded.

      4. Note By default, EX15 devices prioritize their WAN Ethernet connection over any WWAN cellular connections. Consider this prioritization if using both wired Ethernet and cellular Internet connections. Make sure to add the highest priority in-use interface(s) to the WAN Bonding settings.

      1. Enable Bonding Proxy to further optimize standard TCP traffic.

      2. Enable Encryption to encrypt the traffic between the client and the WAN bonding server.

      3. Click to expand Client devices.

        1. Click  to add a new device to the bonding proxy.

        2. In the Device list, choose the device that needs to be added.

        3. Add as many devices as needed to the bonding proxy.

      4. For Mode, select the mode that the interface will use:

      • Automatic: Automatically sets the mode to Cellular Optimized for Speed-mode for cellular, and Ethernet for non-cellular. This is the default mode.

        Cellular Optimized for Speed: A general-purpose configuration suitable for most lines (4G, DSL, etc), with a fair tolerance for packet loss and latency.

      • Cellular Optimized for Latency: Another preset for mobile connections with an even higher focus on latency.

      • Ethernet: A preset for direct Ethernet connections, very sensitive to latency and packet loss.

      • Low Latency: Similar to Ethernet preset, but with higher tolerance for packet loss.

      • TCP Mode: Utilizes TCP instead of UDP. Higher throughput rate at the cost of latency. Useful in scenarios where UDP is throttled or blocked.

      Repeat for additional interfaces.

      For example, if you want to bond a wired WAN Ethernet with a cellular modem, add two bonded interfaces: the WAN Ethernet interface and Modem cellular interface.

  12. Configure authentication for the WAN bonding web interface.

    The WAN bonding web interface can be used to view detailed WAN bonding statistics and to fine-tune the WAN bonding process, and is accessed via a web browser at http://ip-address:8088, where ip-address is the IP address of the local EX15 device.

    1. Click to expand Web interface.

    2. For Interface password, type the unique password to log into the WAN bonding web interface.

  13. Enable Prefer TCP to use TCP channels, if the server supports them. This is useful if UDP is blocked or throttled.

  14. Click to expand SureLink. You can validate the connection of the WAN Bonding connection by setting up tests, as well as actions to be taken if those tests fail.

    1. Click the toggle to Enable.

    2. (Optional) Change the Test interval (default is every 15 minutes) if you want to change the period of time that occurs between tests.

    3. (Optional) For Success condition, change how many tests must pass for SureLink testing to be considered successful. The default is one test must pass.

    4. (Optional) For Pass threshold, change how many times every test must pass before WAN bonding is connected and working. The default is 1 time per test.

    5. (Optional) For Response timeout, change the maximum allowed time SureLink is to wait for each test response. The default is 15s.

    6. Click to expand Tests to add each test you would like SureLink to run to validate the WAN bonding interface connection. You can test the WAN bonding interface using any of the following types:

      • Ping test

      • DNS test

      • HTTP test

      • Test the DNS servers configured for this interface

      • Test the interface status - this test has already been created by default and is automatically enabled

      • Custom test

      • TCP connection

      • Test another interface's status

      1. To create a new test, click . The new test is enabled by default.

      2. (Optional) Type a Label to identify the test.

      3. (Optional) Enable IPv6 if the test is for this internet protocol.

      4. Choose the Test type.

      5. (Optional) Change the type-specific settings for the option you created.

    7. Click to expand Recovery actions. You can choose to do one or more of these actions if any of the tests fail:

      • Change default gateway - this action is already created by default and is automatically enabled

      • Restart interface - this action is already created by default and is automatically enabled

      • Reset modem

      • Switch to alternate SIM

      • Reboot device

      • Recovery commands

      • Power cycle modem

      1. To create a new recovery action, click . The new test is enabled by default.

      2. (Optional) Type a Label to identify the recovery action.

      3. Choose the Recovery type.

      4. (Optional) Change the SureLink test failures, which is the number of failures that must occur for a particular test before the recovery action begins.

      5. (Optional) Change the type-specific settings for the option you created.

      1. (Optional) For Test interface gateway by pinging, to determine the interface gateway, enter the target IP address to use as the endpoint for traceroute. This is used by the WAN bonding gateway ping test. The default is 8.8.8.8.

    1. Click to expand Advanced settings.

      1. (Optional) For Delayed start, change the maximum amount of time to wait after system start-up for WAN bonding to obtain an IP address before SureLink begins monitoring. The default is 300s.

      2. (Optional) For Test interface gateway by pinging, to determine the interface gateway, enter the target IP address to use as the endpoint for traceroute. This is used by the WAN bonding gateway ping test. The default is 8.8.8.8.

  15. Click Apply to save the configuration and apply the change.
  1. Select the device in Remote Manager and click Actions > Open Console, or log into the EX15 local command line as a user with full Admin access rights.

    Depending on your device configuration, you may be presented with an Access selection menu. Type admin to access the Admin CLI.

  2. At the command line, type config to enter configuration mode:

    > config
(config)>

  3. Enable the WAN bonding service:
    (config)> network sdwan wan_bonding enable true
(config)>

    Note The WAN bonding service must be enabled for this device in Digi Remote Manager. Contact your Digi sales representative for information.

  4. Add a new external server, which will host the WAN bonding service. Add as many servers as needed. 
    (config)> network sdwan wan_bonding servers
(config network sdwan wan_bonding servers)> add end
(config network sdwan wan_bonding servers 0)>
  5. Set the hostname or IPv4 address of the external server hosting the WAN bonding service:
    (config network sdwan wan_bonding servers 0)>hostname-or-IPv4-address
(config)>
  6. (Optional) Set the port number that the external server uses for the WAN bonding connection:
    (config network sdwan wan_bonding servers 0)>host_port value
(config)>

    Allowed values are any port number, or the keyword any. The default is 443.

  7. (Optional) Set the Channel UDP Listener Port:

    (config network sdwan wan_bonding servers 0)>udpListenerPort value
(config)>

    Allowed values are any Channel UDP Listener Port, or the keywork any. The default is 44344.

    Add as many external servers as needed.

  8. Set the username and password to authenticate with the WAN bonding service:
    (config)> network sdwan wan_bonding username username
(config)> network sdwan wan_bonding password password
(config)>

  9. Set the firewall zone for this interface. To treat the interface as a normal WAN interface, this would be left at the default of external.

    1. (config)> network sdwan wan_bonding zone ?

Zone: The zone for the new bonded interface. To treat the interface as a typical 
WAN interface, this should be set to External.
Format:
  any
  dynamic_routes
  edge
  external
  hotspot
  internal
  ipsec
  loopback
  setup
Default value: external
Current value: external

(config)>
    2. Set the zone:
      (config)> network sdwan wan_bonding zone zone
(config)>

  10. Configure the device's WAN interfaces that will be bonded:
    1. Add the first interface: 
      (config)> add network sdwan wan_bonding interfaces end
(config network sdwan wan_bonding interfaces 0)>
      1. Set the interface: 
        1. (config network sdwan wan_bonding interfaces 0)> interface ?

Interface: The network interface.
Format:
  /network/interface/setupip
  /network/interface/setuplinklocalip
  /network/interface/lan
  /network/interface/loopback
  /network/interface/modem
  /network/interface/wan
Current value:

(config network sdwan wan_bonding interfaces 0)> interface
        2. Set the interface. For example:
          (config network sdwan wan_bonding interfaces 0)> interface /network/interface/wan
(config network sdwan wan_bonding interfaces 0)>
      2. (Optional) Set the mode for the interface: 
        (config network sdwan wan_bonding interfaces 0)> mode value
(config network sdwan wan_bonding interfaces 0)>

        where value is one of:

        • auto: Automatically sets the mode to Cellular Optimized for Speed-mode for cellular, and Ethernet for non-cellular. This is the default mode.

        • mobileAggressive: A general-purpose configuration suitable for most lines (4G, DSL, etc), with a fair tolerance for packet loss and latency.

        • mobileLowLatency: Another preset for mobile connections with an even higher focus on latency.

        • ethernet: A preset for direct Ethernet connections, very sensitive to latency and packet loss.

        • lowLatency: Similar to Ethernet preset, but with higher tolerance for packet loss.

        • genericTCP: Utilizes TCP instead of UDP. Higher throughput rate at the cost of latency. Useful in scenarios where UDP is throttled or blocked.

    2. Repeat for each additional interface.
  11. (Optional) Enable Encryption to encrypt the traffic between the client and the WAN bonding server.
  12. Enable Bonding Proxy to further optimize standard TCP traffic. 
    (config network sdwan wan_bonding)
(config)>
  13. Set the password for authentication to the WAN bonding web interface.

    The WAN bonding web interface can be used to view detailed WAN bonding statistics and to fine-tune the WAN bonding process, and is accessed via a web browser at http://ip-address:8088, where ip-address is the IP address of the local EX15 device. 

    (config)> network sdwan wan_bonding web_interface password password
(config)>
  14. Enable SureLink to validate the WAN Bonding connection by adding tests, and then the actions to be taken if those tests fail.
    (config) > network  sdwan wan_bonding surelink) >

Parameters
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 enable                                              false                       Enable
interval                                              15m                       Test interval
pass_threshold                               1                             Pass threshold
success_condition                         one                        Success condition
timeout                                              15s                         Response timeout

Additional Configuration
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 actions                                              Recovery actions
advanced                                         Advanced settings
tests                                                   Tests

 

  1. Save the configuration and apply the change.
    (config)> save
Configuration saved.
>
  2. Type exit to exit the Admin CLI.

    Depending on your device configuration, you may be presented with an Access selection menu. Type quit to disconnect from the device.