2 ISP's on same server

[Mailman74]

I want to set up vm's in my server and have 2 isp's running into the server. Before buyin a 2nd NIC I was wondering if this is possible. I would like to assign ISP #1 to the main OS of the server and then assign ISP #2(business line with 13 static ip's) to each VM according to mac address. I already have my router set up to handle the business static ip's and am able to assign ip's to specific device mac's.

 

[bill001g]

It can be done but it tends to be tricky. Now if you can rig the VM to appear as actual machine where the main OS does not see them or only uses mac addresses it should be fairly simple when you are using 2 different nic cards. It is much harder when you try it with a single nic.

Still if the main os or even the VM can/need to see even multiple IP from the same ISP you have issues. Lets say you have IP x.x.x.1 and x.x.x.2 and some machine on the internet ip 1.2.3.4. Now lets say 1.2.3.4 opens connection to both your IP addresses. How does your VM know if it should source packets with the x.x.x.1 or x.x.x.2 ip address since there are session open on both to the same ip on the internet.

You server would need a way to resolve issues like this. Now there are tricky ways to do this with a router/firewall either via policy routing or by doing something non standard like natting the remote internet address. This is not simple to solve and why there are expensive devices called load balancers that can solve some of this.

 

[Mailman74]

I am not an expert at all and a little confused with your solution. I am actually new to settinng up vm's also. Someone told me I could use a USB wifi adapter for main ISP and wire the 2nd isp into NIC.

The business line isp is set up in my router with the mac's and firewall settings using dd-wrt. I can assign the ip's from the router to devices mac addresses now. I tried setting up a vm on my host machine but I could not get the vm get the assigned ip it was using the same ip the host machine was.

If needed I can only use the 1 isp with the 13 statics but I do not know how to assign ip's to vm's.

Thanks allot for your help

 

[bill001g]

Mostly this is all a issue about how your VM works and how you set it up. It can be configured to work in many different ways.

You likely need to start very simple and experiment with this. VM and virtual nics are not really a beginner project you have much to learn. Just try the simple thing run one nic for the main OS and run a single VM for your second nic card.

 

[Mailman74]

Mostly this is all a issue about how your VM works and how you set it up. It can be configured to work in many different ways.

You likely need to start very simple and experiment with this. VM and virtual nics are not really a beginner project you have much to learn. Just try the simple thing run one nic for the main OS and run a single VM for your second nic card.

Thanks for your help. I will go buy a 2nd NIC today and see where I get. Which network setting should I use for the vm, NAT/bridged? I dont think the usb wifi card is gonna work thought.

 

[bill001g]

Start with letting it just get a ip from your router. You should be able to map the physical nic to the vm and it will appear as a physical nic. Again all this stuff is part of the VM software.