Link Aggregation Router vs. Speedify Software: Cost, Flexibility and Performance Compared

What Is a Link Aggregation Router?

Link Aggregation and Speed: What Actually Gets Faster

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

The gain depends on how many links there are, how fast each one is and what the traffic looks like. Switch-style link aggregation (LACP) spreads whole flows across the links, so one large download still runs over a single link. Per-packet aggregation, which Speedify uses, spreads a single transfer across every connection.

Aggregation Router Definition: Two Different Devices

In carrier and ISP networks, an aggregation router sits in the aggregation layer: it collects traffic from many access links, such as DSL equipment and cell sites, and passes it to the core network. In business and home networking, the term usually means a router that combines several internet connections into one, also called a link aggregation or bonding router. This post compares the second kind with software.

Software Link Aggregation Compared with a Link Aggregation Router

When you’re traveling, you need fast and steady internet, which is not easy to find. Since you cannot use your link aggregation router wherever you go, you need to rely on software tools to combine wireless networks on your device.

Many simple load-balancing tools spread traffic across networks without regard to cost or quality, for example in a fixed round-robin order.

If you want to prioritize the use of one network over others, you need an intelligent software link aggregation solution. For example, you might want to combine Wi-Fi with your 4G/5G cellular, but mainly use the Wi-Fi to save on cellular data.

A smart software link aggregation solution combines several networks in the way you want and offers automatic failover protection. So, even if one network goes down, you can still be able to use the internet.

Speedify Is Smarter than a Link Aggregation Router

Speedify is software for combining internet connections that also decides how to use each one.

For example, on your smartphone, if you’re using Wi-Fi and the connection becomes bad, Speedify automatically shifts your traffic to 4G/5G cellular. Once the Wi-Fi signal is back, your traffic is routed through it again instead of the cellular connection.

Speedify works even when there’s just one connection. It automatically detects packet loss and resends the required packets before the loss is noticed by any app.

Wireless connections are more prone to packet loss. On a single lossy connection, Speedify’s packet recovery can make transfers steadier, but it does not add bandwidth; the speed gains come from combining two or more connections.

Apart from these functions, Speedify also acts as a VPN, which means it protects your online privacy. It also protects you from hackers and snoopers on the same network, though it does not remove geo-blocks on streaming services.

How Speedify Is a Better Alternative to Link Aggregation Routers

Here are the reasons:

1. Easy to use: it offers easy link aggregation that is done with an app directly on your computer or mobile device.
2. Lower costs: there’s no need to buy special hardware.
3. More flexibility: you won’t be limited to 2 Ethernet connections or even to a power cable for the link aggregation router.
4. Intelligent combining: it manages networks automatically instead of blindly directing traffic to all channels. It also supports rules.
5. Recovers lost packets, even on a single connection.
6. Protects your online privacy: it is also a VPN that secures you from hackers and other malicious online entities.
7. Available on multiple platforms: Speedify is available on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and Linux. It is simple to use: open the app, connect the networks that you want to combine, and switch Speedify on.

Speedify makes link aggregation more cost effective by cutting the hardware costs and offering multiple services at the cost of one.

Hardware-Based Option: the Miri X510 Link Aggregation Router

Link Aggregation Benefits Explained

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
• provides redundancy in case some of the links fail.

A typical link aggregation implementation is usually associated with hardware: enterprise-grade routers, switches and other networking equipment, bought and maintained per site. Link aggregation software does the same job of combining connections on devices you already own.

Speedify is secure link aggregation router software. It works on Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux and OpenWrt routers, with no need for bulky, expensive hardware. Speedify is a mobile alternative to traditional link aggregation routers from companies such as Avaya, Cisco, Juniper, Synology and others. If your team uses Cisco’s VPN for remote access to the office network, Speedify can run on a router or a second device in front of it, combining internet connections while the VPN runs on top; see where Speedify fits next to a Cisco VPN. Find out more below!

Speedify Link Aggregation Performance: Combining Efficiency and Packet Loss Recovery

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

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

In terms of efficiency, you can get as high as 95% according to Speedify’s tests. This number depends on the connection types and speeds:

• it is higher when combining similar connections
• may go lower if there is huge difference in latency between the connections.

Here’s an example of how Speedify calculates link aggregation efficiency:

• Take an Ethernet link combined with a Wi-Fi network.
• The real transfer rate of the Ethernet network is 95 Mbps and the Wi-Fi does 45 Mbps.
• The theoretical link aggregation rate is 95 + 45 = 140 Mbps.
• The real rate is lower, but with Speedify you should get up to 95% of that, or 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 Business Solutions

Speedify Teams

Get faster uploads and downloads and a more reliable internet connection for all the people and devices in your business.

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Speedify for Routers

Run Speedify on your OpenWrt, GL.iNet or Miri router to combine Wi-Fi, 4G/5G cellular, Ethernet, Starlink and satellite internet connections for every device on your network.

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Speedify Embedded Solutions and Integrations

Add Speedify to your own app or hardware with the Speedify SDK. Your product then combines internet connections, fails over automatically when one drops, and encrypts the traffic, using the same technology as the Speedify app.

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