I have been having CPU/Freezing issues with my MAX-BR1. It has 4 devices (4Mbps peak out) and will have about 8-9 devices (8-9Mbps peak out) in the near future, using a single IPsec tunnel to a remote office. At this point in time, installing a Peplink device on the other end is a step I wish to avoid at this point in time. After some where between 2-5 hours of usage, the http web admin or wifi will function requiring a power cycle. It is using a 30/10 fiber connection. I am thinking that the MAX-BR1-US-LTE, running 6.2.0 firmware, is not powerful enough to handle the IPsec connection and crashes. I see the documentation that it can handle 2 PepVPN/IPsec connections with a user total of 1-25. The network will have about 55-60 devices on it, but only about 10 of those devices will be exiting the WAN port on the IPsec. Also, the router needs to have a DC input on it rather than AC, as the site does not have AC emergency power, just DC battery backup.
Looking for any input on this, thanks.
Also, how does the over head of IPsec AES-128 compare to the PepVPN AES-256?
55-60 devices on a single BR1 is pushing it, even if only 10 are using the VPN. You could definitely try AES-128 to see if it helps and the BR1 does have a terminal connector on it for direct DC power.
@WFF, do you have to have something with an embedded cell modem? If not, the Balance One is a great choice here at $499. Technically, the input voltage is DC coming from the included power supply. This means you could fashion up your own DC direct power cable.
An embedded cell modem is not a requirement, just a nice option to have.
The reason I went with a MAX-BR1 was because it has a DC input range of 12-30VDC as compared to straight 12VDC (Balance One). At out communications sites we have 12 and 24 VDC power systems with battery backup. I wanted a device that could work on either 12 VDC and 24VDC, depending on how each site is setup and the load on each system.
Getting back to your recommendation of the Balance One. Yes, I would fashion my own direct DC cable. I noticed that recommended user base of the Balance One is 1-50 users, my MAX-BR1 has a recommended user base of 1-25. The network it would be service on has 55-60 IP devices on it currently, with more in the future. The router needs to be able to scale up to about 75-100 devices.
The only one with DC input that meets that user capacity is the MAX HD4, which is a $3500 router. I was hoping not having to spend that much on the router.
I have been experimenting with PepVPN Layer-2 bridging and have a few questions.
My original issue was with one of my MAX-BR1’s that is currently deployed as a router on a network with about 55-60 IP devices and a IPsec connection to a remote site. This unit crashes every 3-5 hours, having to be power-cycled. I know the recommended user load for a MAX-BR1 is 1-25.
If I used a Layer-2 PepVPn session between my current MAX-BR1 (functioning as a router) and another MAX-BR1 (that I have already own), thus eliminating the IPsec tunnel. Would the two MAX-BR1 function correctly without crashing? Is the IPsec tunnel causing my unit to crash?
If not:
Would replacing the MAX-BR1 (one functioning as the router) with a higher recommended user load device and then used the other MAX-BR1 solely as a PepVPN Layer-2 bridge end point at the remote office, function correctly without crashing?