8. Routing Performance

Testing Notes:
• WAN to LAN tests are all run with LAN endpoint in DMZ
• LAN to WAN tests are run with LAN endpoint not in DMZ, except UDP Stream

The throughput numbers are similar to the maximum numbers that I've found with other ADMtek 5106 based routers. The FR24 seems to have better-tuned SPI performance, however, because I didn't see any real throughput difference with the SPI Firewall features enabled or disabled. Other routers show a definite hit in WAN-LAN performance with SPI kicked in. UDP testing didn't reveal any hiccups and I didn't experience any problems while I ran my computer's connection through the FR24 for a few days.

Since I don't have two broadband connections (or even one for that matter!), I had to improvise to test the Dual WAN capability. I attached both of the FR24's WAN ports to two of my main router's LAN ports, and found that both ports had no problem getting leases from my router's DHCP server. When I set the FR24's Secondary WAN to "use when Primary WAN disconnected" and physically disconnected the WAN1 cable, I found the router switched over properly, too.

But my testing of the load balancing mode was unsuccessful until I consulted again with Hawking and learned that the FR24 only switches in the extra bandwidth when the Primary WAN busy criteria is met and a new data request comes from another LAN client with a different IP address . This means that, for example, if you want to watch streaming video and download a large file at the same time from the same computer, the FR24 will only use the Primary WAN connection. I had been trying to do the testing with multiple applications from the same LAN client and had no luck getting the Secondary port to switch in.

Routing Performance Test Results

See details of how we test.