I believe the current model for outbound “Load Balanced” algorithm, applies the configured load balancing ratio for the total sum of all the sessions coming from all the hosts. I would love to see a “Per User” load balancing, where the Peplink load balancing algorithm tracks each user’s usage of the WAN interfaces, and distributes each user’s initiated sessions based on the configured ratio. I know this may place burden on the processing and memory for Peplink device, however, this feature will give a predicted user level internet usage experience, and gives a fair usage option to be configured. Imagine a situation where ISP-1 have double the speed of ISP-2, and the configured load-balancing ratio is 50/50. User-A starts a session which goes to the faster ISP-1, and then User-B starts the next session which goes to the slow ISP-2. User-C opens a session which goes to the faster ISP-1, and then User-B opens his second session which happen to go again over the slow ISP-2. Here, User-B encountered the slow ISP connection twice and never was able to get to the faster ISP because of the random nature of initiated sessions from all users. However, had we implemented a per user balance algorithm, User-B would have gone at least once over the faster ISP connection.
A couple of things though - if ISP-1 has double the speed of ISP-2 then their ratio should be 2:1 for the best outcome. And ultimately Least Used / Lowest Latency algorithm should deliver the best user experience, ensuring every new session is placed on the most available link.
Actually I was thinking of this feature as the natural extension of my other requested feature “Session Splitting for HTTP/FTP Protocols” https://forum.peplink.com/threads/984-Specific-Protocol-Session-Splitting. Establishing two sessions sourced from the same host over the same ISP connection (using the Least used/Lowest Latency or even overflow algorithms) will never give you download speed more than the actual ISP connection. However, if the sessions are scattered over all available ISP connections, then the sum of all sessions download will be the sum of all ISP connections’ speeds. To imagine that: A user opens an FTP download, Peplink intercepts it and splits it to two sessions which goes over the two different ISP connections (using the requested feature: 50/50 per user balance mode). So the user will eventually see overall download speed of the sum of the two ISPs. However, if we choose any other algorithm which happen to send the two split sessions over the same ISP, then the overall FTP download speed will never exceed that ISP connection speed (it will be always less than the first case). Even if the other “Session Splitting” feature is not available, this feature will help users having “Download Accelerator/Manager” Software (which does session splitting) to always get the best download speed.
I see what you are saying. Yes we can consider this a subset of the other feature you are requesting too. Thanks Mohamed.