I currently have a webserver that I host at home using OpenBSD. I want to introduce a second identical webserver as a hot spare and/or to help shoulder the load. I want to use CARP to share my IP but unfortunately, my ADSL service provider uses DHCP to give the webserver its static IP.
I have searched the archives and have found people with the same problem and no answers. The only answer I have found has hacked CARP to work correctly (using aliases and other scripts), but only in "hot spare" mode and not in "share the load" mode. I understand CARP doesn't work with an IP address obtained via DHCP, so I would like to put a router after the ADSL modem to get the DHCP IP address, and then attach my two webservers to the LAN side of the router and setup CARP on a private network. I know that with this kind of setup, I still have a few weaker points, like my ADSL connection, my ADSL modem and the router. I already have an extra ADSL modem which I periodically swap with the working one to ensure that both continue to work. I also know that many people here recommend that I don't host a critical web server at home. I do plan on upgrading the ADSL connection in the future, so this is an interm solution. I am looking for comments or suggestions on a hardware router that I can place between the webserver and the ADSL modem. I know that this isn't an OpenBSD specific question, but this is the only list in which I participate and I value the networking knowledge on this list. My router requirements: - WAN side RJ-45 port to connect to ADSL modem - minimum 2 LAN side RJ-45 ports to connect to the two webservers - ability to do redirection of some sort, whether this is just port forwarding http and https ports to the CARP address, or re-directing all WAN side traffic to the CARP address (some sort of DMZ) - can handle 200,000 hits per day of regular web traffic - cheap, so that I can actually have a cold spare for replacement if needed I have considered the following options: - cheap linksys/dlink/netgear/etc home routers (my limited experience with these doesn't give me confidence that they are reliable enough) - low-end cisco router (have looked at the 851 [~$300], 871 [~$500], and 1711 [~$600] models), anything higher starts to cost too much - building a soekris (or similar) router and using OpenBSD (maybe the net5501 [~$340]) Thanks for help, - Tom _________________________________________________________________ Going green? See the top 12 foods to eat organic. http://green.msn.com/galleries/photos/photos.aspx?gid=164&ocid=T003MSN51N1653 A
