Multi-WAN

On the left side of the web Admin Panel, go to NETWORK -> Multi-WAN.

You can configure the router with multiple Internet access methods, so that when one type of Internet access is not available, it can automatically switch to another type of Internet access in a short time. Or use multiple Internet access methods at the same time, assigning the network connection to different connection methods in a certain ratio.

GL.iNet routers can be connected to the Internet in multiple ways, such as Ethernet, Repeater, Tethering, Cellular.

Note

1. Models lacking Wi-Fi functionality (e.g., GL-MT2500/GL-MT2500A) only support Ethernet, Tethering, and Cellular network access.

2. Models lacking USB port (e.g., GL-B3000) only support Ethernet and Repeater network access.

3. Some models support Dual-Ethernet WAN, which will have an additional Ethernet interface on the Multi-WAN page.

Interface Status Track

GL.iNet routers support up to 5 virtual network interfaces, though the exact number may vary by model. For example, GL-MT6000 has Ethernet 1, Ethernet 2, Repeater, Tethering and Cellular, each serving distinct network functions in software-defined configurations.

The routers use ping or httping (only for v4.3 and earlier) command to track the status of the connection to the destination IP, to determine if the interface is available.

If the interface is available, a green dot will be displayed on the left side, otherwise it is gray.

Status Track Settings

Click the cog icon to access the status track settings of each network interface.

For example, this is the status tracking setting for Ethernet interface, and the same applies to other interfaces.

• Enable Interface Status Track: It is enabled by default. You can disable the interface status tracking, as a result the router will determine the interface status by the physical status (such as whether the network cable is plugged in or not).

• Detection Mode: This feature was introduced as Low Data Mode in v4.5 and renamed Detection Mode in v4.7. Three modes are available: Normal Mode, Low Data Mode, and Strict Mode.

  Normal mode is used by default, low data mode traces only when an interface network error occurs, and strict mode determines the interface status only based on the results of a detect command from a public ip.

  You can use Low Data Mode when you are on a limited data plan. However, one drawback is that reconnecting after a network disconnection may be slightly slower compared to the normal mode, and only the cellular interface will be turned on by default.

• Track Command: ping command is used to track the status of the connection to the destination IP, to determine if the interface is available. For firmware v4.3 and earlier, there is also httping command available.

• IPv4 Track IP: You can customize the IPv4 Track IP here.

Note

Some old firmware, such as v4.3, provide settings such as Track Interval, Change to Failure Condition and Change to Available Condition. These settings have been removed since v4.5 and replaced with Detection Mode and Sensitivity Options.

Sensitivity Options

This feature is available since v4.5.

This sensitivity determines the time interval for Internet status detection.

• If the network is stable and in scenarios such as watching videos or live streams, playing games, users are recommended to use high sensitivity for quick switching in case of network disconnection.
• If the network is unstable and downloading cached files, users are recommended to use low sensitivity to prevent constant network switching and discovering unsuccessful connections.

Tips: Switching to high sensitivity may lead to network disconnection, please adjust it with caution.

Multi-WAN Mode

There are two modes for Multi-WAN: Failover and Load Balance. They are mutually exclusive and you can only use one of them.

Failover

Failover is the default mode when there are multi-wan connections. If the active link fails, the router will automatically switch to another network interface for Internet access.

You can set the priority of each interface: when the currently used interface fails, the router switches to the next available interface with the highest priority. Once a higher-priority connection is restored, the router will automatically switch back to it.

Load Balance

Load Balance enables multiple network links to be used simultaneously, increasing bandwidth and improving total throughput.

The Load Ratio determines traffic distribution among interfaces, with the system distributing new connections to each interface according to the configured ratio.

The following two load ratios are available for configuration:

• Default Load Ratio

  If the router is connected to four networks (Ethernet, Repeater, Tethering and Cellular) at the same time, and all four network interfaces are available to access the Internet, then enabling Load Balance and setting 1:1:1:1 means that the four network interfaces will load the network bandwidth averagely, as the system will assign these four interfaces to new connections based on the set load ratio 1:1:1:1.

• Customize Load Ratio

  If the Ethernet bandwidth is 200 Mbps, the Repeater Wi-Fi bandwidth is 100 Mbps, and no Tethering or Cellular connections are active, you can set the load ratios to 2 for Ethernet, 1 for Repeater, and 0 for Tethering/Cellular. The system allocates new connections based on the configured 2:1 ratio, allowing Ethernet to process approximately twice the connections handled by Repeater. Compared with the Failover mode, this optimizes the overall throughput efficiency by balancing the load across available interface.

Note: Alive connections or traffic are not ensured to match the load ratio. It is closer to this ratio if it has been used for a longer time.

Usage Scenarios

• The store's cashier system uses a wired connection to the Internet, while Repeater to Wi-Fi in neighboring stores (or inserting a SIM card to enable cellular network) as a backup Internet access method to prevent mobile payments from being made when the network cable is unavailable.

• Router Repeater to public Wi-Fi, but the network speed is not fast enough, then you can use Mobile Tethering to do load balance at the same time to improve the overall bandwidth.

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