[SOLVED] How can I combine 4G LTE with DSL router?

[jkh_issa]

Hi folks,

I would like to ask for your advice. Since the whole COVID-19 situation many of us are working remotely and it seems this has put pressure on broadband providers across the UK, and my DSL connection has been very unstable these last couple of weeks.

To fix this I am thinking of using 4G as an alternative, or back up to when the network drops speed. I found out that some DSL routers have a USB input, where a 4G dongle can be plugged in, and the 4G connection can then be shared with devices either via WiFi or Ethernet.

However, I have no idea :

• What routers/brands support this functionality.
• The technical name of this functionality (combining 4G with DSL, or multi-source connection)
• How does the functionality work? does it create 2 WiFi networks for example? how would that work with devices connected via ethernet?
• Is there a way to have the router alternate between 4G and DSL automatically depending on which is providing a more stable connection? if there's a router that can do this automatically (similar to a feature that is on a smartphone, that switches to 4G if the WiFi is bad) that would be ideal.

Appreciate your help with this.

 

[bill001g]

Asus routers generally do have it but I am unsure if the DSL models do. The problem is what does "down" mean. Just because it works poorly does not mean it is down. It seldom actually disconnects.

The problem with any form of dual wan router is how this is done. Some router you could send certain traffic via the dsl and other traffic via lte but it is messy to configure.

You can do the same thing with your pc to a point with the router command.

 

[jkh_issa]

Asus routers generally do have it but I am unsure if the DSL models do. The problem is what does "down" mean. Just because it works poorly does not mean it is down. It seldom actually disconnects.

The problem with any form of dual wan router is how this is done. Some router you could send certain traffic via the dsl and other traffic via lte but it is messy to configure.

You can do the same thing with your pc to a point with the router command.

Thanks for your answer, this gives me some ideas.

I think rather in investing into 2 types of connection, I will just invest in a better router for my DSL connection, it seems the issues I've been having recently are mainly due to poor WiFi coverage, and/or poor handling of the traffic by my default Plusnet router.

I actually attempted to run both 4G router and DSL router at the same time, the 4G connection is far more unreliable, it is much faster at times but soon drops to levels way beyond my DSL connection not to mention that it was abysmal in rainy weather, therefore I think investing in a better DSL router may yield better results in the end that trying to combine both connections.