In the world of internet connectivity, two techniques stand out for their ability to enhance your online experience: bonded routers and load balancing. While both aim to improve internet connectivity, they operate differently and serve distinct purposes.
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Understanding Load Balancing
Load balancing is a technique that optimises connectivity by distributing network traffic across multiple connections. This process maximises bandwidth, minimises latency, and prevents any single internet connection from being overloaded.
Load balancing is typically employed to enhance the service provided to an entire network by efficiently distributing available resources. However, it’s important to note that activities requiring a single network socket for internet connection, such as video streaming, VPN connections, and large file transfers, do not benefit from a load balancer.
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The Power of Bonded Routers (Broadband Bonding)
On the other hand, a bonded router, also known as broadband bonding, aggregates two or more internet connections into a single ‘pipe’. This results in increased bandwidth, reduced latency, and enhanced reliability.
Bonded routers are commonly used when maximum speed for a single connection is required, such as for video streaming or large file downloads.
Channel Bonding: A Key Technique
Channel bonding is a method that combines multiple connections to achieve a higher internet speed. This technique, heavily used in Wi-Fi implementations and also known as Ethernet bonding, involves merging two adjacent channels within a certain frequency band. This increases the volume of traffic that can pass between two or more devices.
Channel bonding is particularly beneficial in Wi-Fi networks, which typically operate within the 2.4 GHz frequency band. This band can accommodate three non-overlapping bonded channels, translating into a theoretical throughput of 54 Mbps within 802.n deployments.
However, enabling and configuring channel bonding can be complex and may have some drawbacks. Despite these challenges, it has gained popularity in the Wi-Fi world due to the increased functionality it provides.
Conclusion
In summary, while load balancing distributes network traffic to prevent any single connection from being overwhelmed, a bonded router combines multiple connections to increase the speed and reliability of a single connection.
To find out which solution is best for your specific requirements, get in touch with EMS today.