Link Aggregation Made Easy: Software for Best Results

In computer networking context, link aggregation refers to combining (aggregating) multiple network connections at the same time. This brings two main benefits: increases throughput to near the combined value of the connections being combined, and provides redundancy in case some of the links fail.

A typical link aggregation implementation is usually associated with expensive hardware devices, such as enterprise-grade switches and other networking equipment that are sure to take at least thousands of dollars out of your budget.

Speedify offers a software-based approach that can be easily deployed on existing devices. By bonding multiple internet connections, such as Starlink and other satellites, 4G / 5G cellular, Wi-Fi, cable, DSL etc. Speedify can significantly improve network performance, reduce latency, and enhance overall network reliability. This makes it an ideal solution for organizations seeking to optimize their network infrastructure and ensure business continuity. Read below to see how Speedify is a faster mobile alternative to traditional link aggregation solutions such as Avaya, Cisco, Juniper, Synology and others.

Link aggregation can increase the potential maximum speed of a network connection. By combining multiple physical links into a single logical link, link aggregation can effectively increase the available bandwidth. This can lead to faster data transfer rates, improved network performance, and increased reliability.

However, it's important to note that the actual speed increase depends on various factors, including the number of aggregated links, the speed of each individual link, and the specific network traffic patterns. Additionally, not all applications can fully utilize the increased bandwidth, so the perceived performance improvement may vary.

Speedify was initially built in 2014 as a link aggregation service, still being the only patent pending software-only solution available for the general public. Speedify’s proprietary link aggregation implementation makes it possible to spread individual network packets among multiple Internet connections. By splitting all your web traffic at the packet-level, even large single socket transfers such as file uploads and downloads, and streaming movies can be given a major speed boost by using intelligently all available sockets! Even on lossy wireless connections, packet loss will be minimized with the forward error correction-based algorithms.

The Speedify link aggregation software runs as a background service on your Windows, Linux or macOS computer, iPhone, iPad or Android smartphone and even OpenWrt routers. It’s compatible with any application that communicates data on the Internet, optimizing the performance of the connection while keeping it secured and always on with its built-in failover mechanisms.

If you’re wondering exactly how the software-only link aggregation implementation from Speedify works – here’s a step-by-step description:

1. When running, the Speedify client software identifies all available Internet connections on your device in real time – you can add or eliminate them while running and Speedify will get that and adjust its link aggregation algorithms. It “routes” them into a virtual network adapter.
2. The Speedify client establishes a secure and encrypted connection to a server in the cloud, which acts as a middleman between you and the rest of the Internet.
3. Speedify works in tandem with the servers in the cloud to intelligently divide your Internet traffic and deliver the combined speed of all available Internet connections.
   • Speedify monitors the quality of your connection in the background. If one of your connections becomes unstable, the app’s built-in automatic failover mechanism reroutes all of your data so that you stay connected and don’t miss a beat. Once the lost connection is available again, Speedify starts to utilize it.
   • Speedify also works to encrypt all of your data, as a mobile VPN solution. This keeps you safe from hackers and snoops.

As Speedify is a software-only link aggregation solution that works with dedicated servers in the cloud, there’s no need for additional hardware (such as switches and other costly networking equipment) on the client side. You just have to install Speedify on your computer or mobile device and you’re all set.

Plus – since it’s a software implementation, you can constantly change your mix of bonded Internet connectionswithout having to get a dedicated hardware piece for each of them.

By not requiring additional link aggregation hardware, Speedify will drastically cut down your expenses for such a solution. Prices for link aggregation switches start at a couple hundred dollars a piece. Plus – in a couple of years – you will probably need an upgrade.

As Speedify was built with the core ability to combine 2 or more Internet connections, the focus has always been on:

• Increasing the efficiency of link aggregation (bonding efficiency)
• Minimizing packet loss

In terms of bonding efficiency, our latest tests ran on all supported platforms show that, depending on the connections you aggregate, you can get as high as 95% efficiency. This number is higher when combining similar connections and may go lower if there is huge difference in latency between the connections.

Here’s an example of how we calculate the Speedify link aggregation efficiency: let’s assume we’re combining an Ethernet link with a WiFi network. The real transfer rate of the Ethernet network is 95 Mbps and the WiFi does 45 Mbps. The theoretical link aggregation rate is 95 + 45 = 140 Mbps. However – the real rate is lower, but with Speedify you should get up to 95% of that = 133 Mbps.

When it comes to connections with packet loss Speedify often speeds things up dramatically. Combining 2 connections with 5% packet loss, Speedify increases the bandwidth of the resulting connection by 300%, compared to running a single connection without Speedify.

Speedify is not just another link aggregation solution, even though it’s unique among its kind. It’s a true mobile VPN app that uses powerful and fast 256-bit encryption to protect your devices from hackers, snoops, ransomware and other online threats that are so common these days.

Other VPN solutions may slow down your Internet connection because of the way they were originally built – as a method to protect your data primarily, whatever the cost. Speedify is different – it was originally built as a link aggregation service and got its encryption later on, so if it’s both security and speed you’re looking for – there’s no better alternative than Speedify!

Looking for an affordable link aggregation solution that will always be flexible to support your different bonding scenarios? Speedify is here – get started today!