Having to pay through the nose for slow satellite solutions or spotty wifi connections at marinas is a thing of the past. There are a number of ways to get high speed internet today, including 5G LTE hotspots, external Wi-Fi antennas, 4G mobile hotspots, and even Starlink. As part of taking full advantage of all these connection options here on board M/Y Antigua, I have used OpenMPTCProuter to combine multiple WAN connections!

What is Bonding and MPTCP?

Bonding refers to the process of combining multiple network connections into a single logical connection, with the goal of maximizing bandwidth, improving reliability, and providing failover capabilities. Multipath TCP (MPTCP) bonding is a more advanced form of bonding, allowing for data to be transmitted over multiple network paths simultaneously. This provides numerous benefits over traditional multi-WAN load balancing, which simply distributes network traffic across multiple WAN connections in a round-robin fashion.

Diagram of Example Multi-ISP MPTCP Configuration

One of the key advantages of MPTCP bonding is its ability to dynamically adjust the data transmission path based on changing network conditions, resulting in improved overall performance. For example, if one network path becomes congested, MPTCP bonding can seamlessly switch to another path, ensuring a consistent and uninterrupted user experience. This is similar to how iPhones seamlessly switch from Wi-Fi to cellular data when Wi-Fi signals become weak. This dynamic adjustment of network paths makes MPTCP bonding a more efficient and reliable solution for users who require high-speed, low-latency network connectivity.

From a constellation of satellites orbiting the Earth, SpaceX provides high-speed internet access through Starlink satellite internet service. With Starlink’s constellation of satellites, you can access the internet quickly and reliably from remote or mobile locations, but there are limitations. The service does not have the same latency as traditional LTE networks due to the distance between the satellites and the user. Also as the constellation is still filling out, there are still momentary packet-loss and interruptions in service depending on your location. To top it off, my setup being on a constantly moving platform with regularly changing conditions and obstructions can amplify these challenges even more so.

So a combination of Starlink and LTE connections let’s you benefit from the speed and unlimited bandwidth of Starlink, while using the low-latency cellular connection to give you the quickest connection; Increasing bandwidth, improving redundancy, and providing faster latency. If one of your connections momentarily drops, it’s covered by the other with a seamless hand off. This is the internet version of getting your cake and eating it too. The ability to use both systems will allow you to build a reliable connection that can handle pretty much anything.

Bonding 2 Starlinks, 5G, & WiFi Into One Stable Connection

If you are using Starlink along with an alternate connection (like LTE, or marina Wi-fi connection), latency or packet drops are normally not an issue, since the alternate connection takes care of any packet loss or short disconnect in the network.

Being on a boat, you frequently can find yourself in places where there are no other options to connect so Starlink becomes your only option. It was important to me that I could take my vessel anywhere without worrying about how it would be set up or if I would be able to connect for work.

So I decided to get a second Starlink and configure them differently so that the chances of both experiencing a glitch at the same time are reduced. Yet how do you configure a Starlink differently if there is no configuration? As it turns out, as recently pointed out by another user, disabling the motors on one of the dishes can make for the perfect solution!

What makes this setup superior to paid solutions like SpeedFusion?

PepLink SpeedFusion is a commercial solution for bonding multiple internet connections. It is easy to setup and use, and it provides a lot of features, but it is expensive and limited in the number of connections you can bond. While PepLink SpeedFusion has many benefits, it does have some drawbacks, such as its high cost and limited connection capacity, which may not appeal to everyone. Also, SpeedFusion has a 200 Mbps cap. As a result, it is best for users who don’t need more than 200 Mbps of high-speed connection. In the case of higher demands, other solutions will be needed that are capable of supporting greater throughput and connections. In addition, SpeedFusion requires additional hardware to be set up properly, which may result in additional costs and installation time. As a result of SpeedFusion’s proprietary nature, it may not be compatible with all routers and hardware, so it is important to confirm compatibility before you spend any money.

Meanwhile, OpenMPTCProuter is a free open source router that does not require any particular hardware. OpenMPTCProuter can be customized based on your needs and is free of charge apart from VPS bandwidth (I currently get 2TB/month for only $5). Furthermore, OpenMPTCProuter offers far higher connections and throughput than SpeedFusion, so it is an ideal solution for higher requirements, with only your hardware and connections limiting it. In addition to being free, OpenMPTCProuter allows you to bond as many connections as you need, and custom-tailor the setup according to your needs.

You can easily increase your connections and throughput by adding more connections, and it has a powerful set of features that let you customize the routing and bonding of connections to your needs.

Alternatives

Commercial Bonding / SD-WAN Options

For some, it just pays to not worry about things or have the desire to get into network device configurations. For those that fall into this category and are looking for a simple “plug & play” solution, I’ve listed the following:

  • PepLink SpeedFustion: A bonding technology developed by PepLink that allows users to combine multiple internet connections into one, faster and more reliable connection. With it, each connection’s bandwidth is combined into a single, unified connection that has a higher bandwidth and is more reliable, but it has its limits and costs. In addition to spending thousands on your Peplink box, you have to pay an additional $1,000 per year for SpeedFusion cloud service to access cloud servers and to enable real channel bonding. In the absence of the service add-on, your router is merely a load balancing device, so you can’t actually utilize the increased bandwidth for video conferencing, file uploads, and downloads.

  • Speedify: Speedify detects and integrates all the available internet connections on your computer, including Wi-Fi, mobile, Ethernet, and virtual private networks. This allows you to stream, play, and conduct other online activities more efficiently and reliably. Rather than operating at a network-level, Speedify is intended to be installed onto a single windows/macos computer (though there are ways to share the bonded internet connection out to other devices). Despite Speedify being a reliable service at a low cost, it is not available everywhere. Speedify is still not available in many parts of the world. It can be problematic for rural dwellers and travelers who travel to areas without Speedify.

  • Mushroom Networks: Mushroom Networks stands out in the commercial bonding and SD-WAN solution market, especially for businesses requiring dependable and secure networking. Their innovative Portable SD-WAN technology enables rapid network deployment in varied settings, offering enhanced security and efficiency. Although their solutions, such as the Broadband Bonding Network Appliances (BBNA), come at a higher cost, the premium is justified by unparalleled reliability and performance essential for mission-critical operations. For DIY projects like mine, the sophistication of Mushroom Networks’ offerings exceeds the requirements, with OpenMPTCProuter serving as a free alternative that suits my needs. Nevertheless, for organizations looking for robust, high-performance networking solutions to tackle complex connectivity challenges, Mushroom Networks is an excellent recommendation, perfectly aligning with professional and business-critical demands.

OpenMPTCProuter

How Does It Work?

Let’s take a look at how OpenMPTCProuter works now that we have discussed the benefits of bonding multiple Starlink connections with multiple LTE connections.

OpenMPTCProuter uses the Multi-Path Transmission Control Protocol (MPTCP) to combine multiple internet connections into a single virtual connection. MPTCP is an extension to the traditional TCP protocol, which allows multiple paths between two endpoints to be used simultaneously, enabling better resource utilization and increased reliability.

OpenMPTCProuter uses the Linux kernel’s built-in MPTCP implementation, which allows it to create and manage multiple network interfaces, each representing a different physical or virtual internet connection. These interfaces can be a mixture of wired and wireless connections, cellular networks, satellite links, and more.

When data is sent over the virtual connection, OpenMPTCProuter splits it into multiple sub flows and distributes them across the available network interfaces. The software dynamically monitors the performance of each connection and adjusts the distribution of traffic accordingly, sending more data over faster or more reliable links.

OpenMPTCProuter also implements a range of traffic management techniques to optimize the performance of the virtual connection. For example, it can prioritize certain types of traffic, such as real-time video or voice, to ensure a smooth and uninterrupted experience.

Overall, OpenMPTCProuter provides an efficient and flexible way to combine multiple internet connections into a single virtual connection, with improved bandwidth, reliability, and redundancy.

The Tech OpenMPTCProuter (OMR) uses:

  • ShadowSocks-libev for TCP traffic between OMR and the VPS
  • Glorytun for UDP and ICMP traffic between OMR and the VPS

Features

  • Aggregation: Bonding connections to really aggregate bandwidth from up to 8 internet connections with different characteristics : Fiber, xDSL, LTE (4G or 5G), Starlink/SpaceX Provide hybrid Internet with any ISP.

  • Fail-over: Always up with connection and server fail-over

  • Security: All data between the router and the server part are encrypted by default and can be obfuscated

Prerequisites

  • Intel/AMD-based PC with Gigabit Ethernet, at least 1 GB of RAM, and a 8 GB storage or Raspberry Pi 4B(*) with those same specs and an microSD card
  • 5+ port Gigabit switch
  • 2 Internet connections or more - and modems can be xDSL, cable, 4G, fiber, Starlink/SpaceX, or whatever… (**)
  • Cloud VPS with 1 GB of RAM and at least 1 vCore, as closest to you as possible (ping time matters!), with network speed greater than 120% of what you expect to achieve (***)

(*) You cannot use a Raspberry Pi 3B or less, unless you have less than 90 Mb/s of total Internet speed available, as the Ethernet port of the Pi 3B is limited to 100 Mbps total. Additionally, the Pi 3B’s CPU is slower which can cause problems with the bonding and trigger packet loss or cause the Pi to crash.

(**) You cannot use a FTTB deployment where you are provided only an Ethernet cable to your apartment that you plug into a router! Only ISPs which provide a modem/router can be used!

(***) Explanation: If you have 2x 50 Mbps connections that you want to bond into a 100 Mbps connection, your VPS should have at least 120 Mb/s network speed limit to account for protocol overheads. Actual results may vary. Ping from your home to the VPS should be less than 15ms.

Installation

Step 1: Set Up a VPS

The first step is to set up a virtual private server (VPS). This VPS will be used to host OpenMPTCProuter. Ideally, you should choose a provider that is located near your Starlink POP, so as to minimize latency and ensure maximum performance. In addition, having a VPS located in the same region as your Starlink POP will minimize any potential latency issues caused by routing. I use Vultr as my VPS provider.

Note: Pay attention to the terms of service for the VPS provider you choose; I had to change to Vultr after my VPS @ Google Cloud was flagged due to a crypto miner on my network that violated their terms.

Obtain a VPS, with Ubuntu 20.04 x86_64 or Debian 10 Buster x86_64, with at least 512 GB RAM (1 Go RAM is better) and 1 vCore. Make sure the network speed of the server is satisfactory, as that will be the maximum bonded speed you can achieve, and make sure the ping from your home connection is low (20ms or lower). It is best to pick a server in a datacenter in the same country as you. Note the server’s IP address.

The VPS/server need to have the lowest latency as possible with your connections.

I using a Vultr instance (with Linux Debian, 1GB RAM, 1 vCPU, 25GB NVMe & 2TB Transfer) at $6 per month.

Vultr VPS Pricing
Vultr VPS Bandwidth with Speedtest CLI

If you want IPv6, configure it on the server before running the script.

  • Connect with SSH on your server
  • You may need to update your server: apt-get update && apt-get upgrade
  • Then, as root: wget -O - https://www.openmptcprouter.com/server/debian10-x86_64.sh | sh

This will install and configure mptcp kernel, shadowsocks, glorytun and shorewall (as firewall). Key for shadowsocks and glorytun are generated by the script.

  • SSH port is changed to 65222 (TCP)
  • Shadowsocks port is 65101 (TCP & UDP)
  • Glorytun port is 65001 (TCP & UDP)
  • OMR JSON admin is 65500 (TCP)
  • OpenVPN port is 65301 (TCP)
  • MLVPN ports are 65201-65208 (UDP)
  • Iperf3 on port 65400 (TCP & UDP)
  • DSVPN port is 65401 (TCP)
  • V2Ray port is 65228 (TCP)

After install, keys are saved in /root/openmptcprouter_config.txt file

root:~# cat /root/openmptcprouter_config.txt
SSH port: 65222 (instead of port 22)
Shadowsocks port: 65101
Shadowsocks encryption: chacha20
Your shadowsocks key: ************************************
Glorytun port: 65001
Glorytun encryption: chacha20
Your glorytun key: ************************************
A Dead Simple VPN port: 65401
A Dead Simple VPN key: ************************************
MLVPN first port: 65201'
Your MLVPN password: ************************************
Your OpenMPTCProuter ADMIN API Server key (only for configuration via API access, you don't need it): ************************************
Your OpenMPTCProuter Server key: ************************************
Your OpenMPTCProuter Server username: openmptcprouter

The SSH port will be changed to 65222, so use that to connect via SSH from now on.

VPS must be rebooted after installation.

To update OpenMPTCProuter server part, you have to download and run the script again. Keys will be preserved.

Step 2: Install the router image

The hard part is done, what’s left is to install the system image on the router. OpenMPTCProuter image is a fork of OpenWrt with added elements necessary to enable true WAN Bonding. Download Images Here .

For Raspberry Pi 4B: Download Raspberry PI 4B (64-bits) ext4-factory image, which is a .img.gz file.

Extract the file (you need to write it to the SD card with a tool like Balena Etcher. Insert the microSD card into the Raspberry Pi and proceed with the next step.

Step 3: Prepare Modems

To prepare the modems, you need to do the following:

  1. Set the modems LAN IP addresses to 192.168.1.1 for the first, 192.168.2.1 for the second modem and 192.168.3.1 for the third modem…
  2. Turn off the modems DHCP server. It is very important that you don’t have multiple DHCP servers on the same network at the same time causing conflicts.

The exact ways to do this vary wildly depending on the model of your modem, but it is important to first change the IPs, and THEN disable DHCP. Failure to do so properly means you have to factory reset the modem or configure a static IP address on your PC to access the web UI of the modem.

Some devices such as Starlink do not allow you to change ip address; for those, you can install a small travel router in-between to get ip address control going to OMR. This will create a double-NAT in the WAN interface, but should not cause issue since the traffic piping to your VPS is single NAT.

My personal configuration is done differently, as I use VLANs paired with a managed switch to give me multiple WAN ports. I may expand this guide later to include this in the setup guide as well.

Step 4: Wiring It All Up

The wiring is actually super simple in this case, in contrast with the load balancing setup.

Take the Gigabit Ethernet switch, and plug into it the Three modems, the router (Raspberry Pi or Mini PC) and your own computer. Make sure all cables are functioning to spec, to avoid any problems.

Example Wiring Diagram

Step 5: Configure OpenMPTCProuter

Once you have set up the VPS and the x86 micro PC, you can configure OpenMPTCProuter. This is done using the web interface.

To start, you will need to set up the interface for each connection. You will also have to enter IP addresses and subnet masks for each connection.

After that, you’ll need to configure bonding in the web interface. Click on the “Bonding” tab to do it. You can choose which type of bonding you prefer to use and which interfaces to bond. MPTCP bonding is more reliable than traditional bonding, so I recommend using it.

Having configured bonding, you should now set up routing. You can do this by clicking the “Routing” tab in the web interface. Here, you can set up the default route and individual interface routes.

Finally, you will need to set up the firewall. This can be done by clicking the “Firewall” tab in the web interface. Here you can configure the firewall rules and set up port forwarding.

You must put your computer in the same network as the OpenMptcpRouter router (the default OpenMptcpRouter network is 192.168.100.x and the OpenMptcpRouter is in 192.168.100.1).

  • Open https://192.168.100.1/ and log in with the username root (at default there is no password, leave it empty).
    https://192.168.100.1/ - OMR Login Screen

Your can change, the IP and the network of the OpenMptcpRouter: To do this, go to Network –> Interfaces –> LAN in OpenMptcpRouter GUI. Click to Edit boton to change network parameters.

Network –> Interfaces
Network –> Interfaces –> LAN

  • On the OpenMptcpRouter server VPS, open the openmptcprouter_config.txt file and copy the OpenMPTCProuter Server Key value

  • In the OpenMptcpRouter router GUI go to System –> OpenMPTCProuter –> Settings Wizard, and enter the Server Key and the public IP address of your VPS server.

    System –> OpenMPTCProuter –> Settings Wizard
    Scroll down to the two predefined interfaces, wan1 and wan2. Enter the labels, and the parameters as follows:

  • For WAN1: Protocol - Static address, IPv4 address - 192.168.1.42, Subnet mask - 255.255.255.0, IPv4 Gateway - 192.168.1.1

  • For WAN2: Protocol - Static address, IPv4 address - 192.168.2.42, Subnet mask - 255.255.255.0, IPv4 Gateway - 192.168.2.1

  • For WAN3: Protocol - Static address, IPv4 address - 192.168.3.42, Subnet mask - 255.255.255.0, IPv4 Gateway - 192.168.3.1

(the only difference is the IP subnet 192.168.1.0, 192.168.2.0, and 192.168.3.0 … as you configured in step 3.)

Click Save & Apply, and after a few seconds you will be redirected to the Status page (System –> OpenMPTCProuter –> Status). If everything is OK, it should look like this:

System –> OpenMPTCProuter –> Status

You can check egaly the Dashboard page

OMR Dashboard

Thats it!

Step 6: Test the Connection

Once you have set up OpenMPTCProuter, you will need to test the connection. You can do this by connecting to the VPS and running speed tests for each connection. Speed tests can determine how well the router is distributing traffic across different uplinks and how well it is performing in terms of latency and throughput. This information can help you identify any issues and make adjustments if necessary. For example, if one of the uplinks has a lower latency than the other, you can configure the router to prioritize that connection over the other.

Updating OpenMPTCProuter

  1. Save the configuration: (System –> Backup/Flash Firmware –> Backup –> Generate archive).
System –> Backup/Flash Firmware –> Backup –> Generate archive
  1. Then 2 choices:

a. Write the latest image on the SD card, restore the configuration System –> Backup/Flash Firmware –> Backup –> Restore backup

System –> Backup/Flash Firmware –> Backup –> Restore backup
Restoring

Or

b. Download the image (.img) then use System –> Backup/Flash Firmware –> Backup –> Flash new firmware image (this can fail, you really should backup your configuration).

System –> Backup/Flash Firmware –> Backup –> Flash new firmware image
Flashing

This can fail, you really should backup your configuration

Don’t update packages via the interfaces, current packages are from OpenWRT snapshot and this can break everything.

Tips

Blocked Sites

All internet flow that passes through aggregation is encrypted using a VPN. Your public IP becomes that of the VPS server.

Some services like NETFLIX, DISNEY+, APPLE TV+ … may be alarmist and block your access.

There is an option in OMR to work around this problem (OMR Bypass). In the OpenMptcpRouter router GUI go to Services –> OMR Bypass

  1. Click Add button in Domains section

    Services –> OMR Bypass

  2. Configure the Domain that should bypass the aggregated VPN and Save it

    Services –> OMR Bypass -> Add

OMR-Bypass allows you to present to the site the IP of your WAN1, WAN2 or WAN3 … and thus to access the site.

  1. Click to Save & Apply
    OMR Bypass Domains

Custom DNS

By default OpenMPTCProuter uses root DNS servers. If you want to use some alternate DNS, in the router GUI go to Network –> DHCP and DNS

Network –> DHCP and DNS

In DNS forwardings remove the 127.0.0.1#5353 default entry and add the server you want (ie. 9.9.9.9 for quad9 DNS):

Network –> DHCP and DNS -> DNS Forwardings

Click Save & Apply

Testing Speed

There is several tools available on OpenMPTCProuter to test speed

omr-test-speed

  • To test aggregated download speed: omr-test-speed

  • To test a wan1 download speed: omr-test-speed wan1

  • To test a wan2 download speed: omr-test-speed wan2

  • To test aggregated download speed: omr-test-speed tun0

Ctrl+C to stop after at least 2 minutes to have real speed.

omr-iperf

  • To test aggregated upload speed from server: omr-iperf

  • To test aggregated download speed to server: omr-iperf vps -R

Where vps is the name of the VPS.

Inactive TCP Sessions Are Killed

For SSH, you can modify ServerAliveInterval in ssh configuration. You can also increase IPv4 TCP Keepalive time in the menu System –> OpenMPTCProuter –> Advanced Settings.

System –> OpenMPTCProuter –> Advanced Settings

Increase IPv4 TCP Keepalive time and click Save & Apply

Get Systems Logs via SSH

You can get them with the command: logread

Select Primary WAN with best Ping

How to select primary WAN with best ping : Under System –> OpenMPTCPRouter –> Advanced Settings Enable TCP Low Latency And the master interface selection must be dynamically change.

System –> OpenMPTCPRouter –> Advanced Settings

Conclusion

When you are in a remote or mobile location, pairing multiple Starlink connections with multiple LTE connections is a great way to increase bandwidth and redundancy. In addition to providing more reliability than traditional multi-WAN setups, bonding with MPTCP makes it even better since you can use multiple connections simultaneously.

In addition to bonding as many connections as you need, OpenMPTCProuter allows you to customize the setup to meet your specific requirements. Moreover, OpenMPTCProuter is free, so you do not have to pay for a commercial solution. You can customize a bonding solution with OpenMPTCProuter to meet all your needs, while still enjoying a free solution’s cost savings.

It is my hope that this article has been helpful in explaining how to bond multiple Starlink connections with multiple LTE connections using OpenMPTCProuter. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them in the comment section below.

Originally Posted: December 4, 2021
Last Updated: June 6, 2024