Multi-Link PPPoE (MLPPP)¶
Multi-Link PPPoE (MLPPP) is a unique WAN option that bonds together multiple PPPoE lines from the same ISP to form one larger virtual circuit. This means a firewall can get the true aggregate bandwidth of all circuits in the bundle. For example, if a firewall has three 10 Mbit/s DSL lines in a bundle, it could potentially get 30Mbit/s from a single connection.
Requirements¶
The largest hurdle for MLPPP is that the ISP must support it on the circuits connected to the firewall. Few ISPs are willing to support MLPPP, so if an ISP is available that does, it would be worth taking advantage of that fact. Additionally, each line must be on a separate interface connected to the firewall running pfSense® software.
Setup¶
Setup for MLPPP is simple:
Configure a WAN for a single line with the correct credentials
Navigate to Interfaces > Assign, PPPs tab
Click
to edit the entry for the PPPoE WANCtrl-click to select the other physical interfaces that belong to the same MLPPP bundle
Click Save
The firewall will then attempt to bond the lines using MLPPP.
Caveats¶
One downside to using MLPPP is that troubleshooting is much more difficult. Statistics and status are not available for the individual lines. To determine the status, read through the PPP log, as there is not yet a way to query the lines separately. In some cases it’s obvious if a line is down, as there may be a noticeable problem at the modem (out of sync) or that the maximum attainable bandwidth is reduced.