What Is a Failover Router? (Updated Apr 2024)
Reliable, high-speed internet is of the utmost importance in every industry. An LTE failover router ensures a network remains online and operational during an internet outage. This is accomplished by including a secondary redundant internet connection that a network automatically switches to should the primary internet connection fail.
However brief, a loss of internet connectivity can substantially impact a business's operations, resulting in lost revenue and productivity and potentially triggering a cascade of system failures. By utilizing a failover router and avoiding reliance on a single internet service provider's connection, businesses can always ensure they remain connected to high-speed internet.
What is Failover Routing Policy?
When creating a new record, you choose an AWS failover routing policy, determining how your DNS service will respond to queries.
Type of routing policies include:
- Simple routing policy
- Weighted routing policy
- Latency routing policy
- AWS Failover routing policy
- Geolocation routing policy
- Geoproximity routing policy
- Multivalue answer routing policy
Can All Routers Be Used for a Failover?
Any failover router setup can be used as an LTE router failover. However, only certain routers have automatic failover, meaning they will take over and keep you connected when a primary router loses connection. This way, each device or computer connected to the network will have minimal — if any — downtime. Routers that do not have automatic failover capabilities will have to be manually turned on following a connection outage.
What Are the Important Features of an Automatic Failover Router?
The ideal failover solution should offer some important features.
Simplified Integration
Simple, seamless network integration is paramount. Choosing from this list of the best failover routers will ensure your internet connection remains active.
Certified Connectivity Options
When choosing which type of router to use as a failover, look for:
- Multiple carrier support,
- multiple WAN connectivity options, either by Ethernet or cellular,
- load balancing and automatic failover capabilities.
Remember security features, too. A network is only as strong as its weakest link. An unsecured router can jeopardize not only your data but also the data of your employees and, worse, clients.
What Is a Dual-WAN Router?
Dual-WAN routers, also known as multi-WAN routers, come fitted with two or more WAN internet ports so that a network can simultaneously connect to multiple internet service providers. There are multiple significant benefits and uses for a dual-WAN router automatic failover setup:
Failover Capabilities
A dual-WAN or multi-WAN router allows simultaneous internet connection to two or more internet service providers. This ensures you remain online, keeping business running smoothly, even if one internet connection fails.
Load Balancing
Load balancing enables you to share the bandwidth load of many applications running concurrently on a system or network between two or more internet connections. When many applications or other processes run, they can consume a lot of bandwidth and slow operations. Across an entire company, the bandwidth demands are exponentially greater with each additional user on the network.
With dual-WAN or multi-WAN routers, the load is balanced across more than one internet service provider, resulting in an overall faster internet connection speed on each connected device.
Security Features
Many top-of-the-line dual-WAN routers come with L2TP VPN enabled to help ensure employees have secure connections to your business's network. This also allows a network administrator to encrypt public network traffic, significantly reducing the risk of unauthorized users gaining access to your network and sensitive data.
Other Additional Features
Some brands of routers with cellular failover come with additional features, such as built-in DNS proxies, so users don't have to define their own DNS providers. Other common features include content-based and geo-based blocking services.
Should You Use a Dual or Multi-WAN Router?
Consider all the performance improvements that come with using dual or multi-WAN routers, such as increased reliability, speed, load balancing, and security. The reliability of your internet connection improves significantly when you maintain redundant internet connections to two or more internet service providers.
Active vs. Passive Failover Router
Using an active failover router means the bandwidth load on your internet connection is balanced across two or more internet service providers, ensuring consistently high connection speeds.
A passive failover router only becomes active when the primary router fails.
Best Failover Routers
Now that you know what failover routers are, why they're essential, and what features the best failover routers have, look at our top recommendations.
RUT241 - Great Value Failover Router with Great Features
The RUT241 is an industry-leading 4G LTE Wi-Fi router ideal for professional M2M and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. It delivers high performance for critical cellular communication.
The RUT241 is widely used for 4G backup, Remote Connection, tunnelling services in IoT networking, and its advanced VPN. The WAN failover ensures automatic switching when an internet connection fails or experiences other connectivity issues.
- 4G LTE Wi-Fi supported — Cat 4 up to 150 Mbps, 3G — up to 42 Mbps, 2G - up to 236.8 Kbps
- GPS not supported
- Ethernet Ports: 1 WAN port, which can be configured to LAN, 10/100 Mbps, supports auto MDI/MDIX. 1 LAN port, 10/100 Mbps, supports auto MDI/MDIX
- VoIP passthrough support, allowing proper routing of VoIP packets
- MSRP
- Carriers: AT&T, T-Mobile, Rogers, Telus, Bell - USA/CAN except Verizon
Dual Ethernet LTE-M/NB-IoT AirLink® LX60:
Commercial routers that are ideal for Retail, POS, IoT, and Commercial Fleets. Connect anywhere without wires or a broadband connection, including global device connectivity. Ensure business continuity through a simplified failover solution.
This device is a suitable replacement for the typical Netgear failover router because the LX60 has always-on failover. Users must configure failover mode for most Netgear routers.
- CAT 4 LTE
- Dual Band 2.4/5GHz Wi-Fi 802.11 Wave2, Client Mode Support for 10 clients, WPA2 Enterprise
- GPS not supported
- 2 Gigabit Ethernet ports
- IP passthrough capable
- MSRP
- LX60 Carriers: North America — Verizon, AT&T/Generic, EMEA, Australia and New Zealand
E300 Series Router: Dual-SIM with Auto-Carrier Switching
The E300 Series Enterprise Router provides industry-leading Gigabit-Class LTE connectivity as a primary or failover connection combined with a wired link. With VPN support, Wi-Fi 6, optional Bluetooth, and integrated switching, the 5G-ready E300 combines services, performance and options for future technology integrations for a powerful combination in a portable, compact form factor.
- 5G NR & Cat 20 LTE; Cat 18 or Cat 7 LTE modem
- Dual-SIM with Auto-Carrier Switching
- Dual-band, dual-concurrent; 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6)
- Extended service with NetCloud SDK and API
- GNSS/GPS enabled
- Ethernet ports: 5 GbE (LAN/WAN switchable), 1 SFP+
- IP passthrough capable
- AT&T, T-Mobile with 4G LTE and HSPA+ fallback
- Verizon, Sprint with 4G LTE & 3G EVDO fallback
InRouter302 Compact Industrial LTE CAT 4 Router with Auto Failover
InHand IR302 is a cost-effective, compact industrial 4G LTE router with two Ethernet ports, dual SIM holders and an optional Wi-Fi interface. It provides easy, reliable, and secure connectivity. This industrial cellular router can be used in a wide range of industrial and commercial IoT applications, giving you an option of better performance but lower cost.
- LTE CAT 4/1
- 1 RS232 serial port
- Supports 2*IO (DO or DI can be configured)
- Dual SIM
- Optional 802.1 1b/g/n, 150Mbps Wi-Fi
- Works on all major carriers. Certified on AT&T and Verizon
The Importance of Wireless Network Failover Routers
Failover routers are often indispensable for larger companies, which often cannot afford to have even a brief internet outage.
Businesses and organizations are rapidly adopting more cloud-based services in their daily operations. This means automatic failover capability and uninterrupted network access have shifted from being merely valuable to being vital to keeping services running around the clock.
Many businesses and organizations are introducing failover capabilities by adding a second wired link to an existing branch router. This is a good start, but it still leaves the router and the wired links as potential weak points. Two routers with different types of WAN connections are the way to go, and modern LTE and 5G wireless data increase the durability of a network.
Our Recommendation for Failover Routers
Any automatic failover router suggestions listed above are a good choice; each has features.
The IR302 series router is a solid, economical choice
- MSRP is under $200 US dollars
- Has dual SIM for auto-failover
- Small form-factor
- Compatible with all major carriers
Another, the AirLink® LX60, is a suitable replacement for the Netgear failover router because the LX60 has Always-On failover. Users must configure failover mode for most Netgear routers. But with the LX60, failover is automatically switched on, making it a great choice when replacing a Netgear failover router.
So do your homework, and find a failover router that's right for your company because downtime without an internet connection can result in loss of revenue and productivity. With a failover router, you've always got a backup redundant connection.
Often, people need clarification on failover and disaster recovery. We've clarified any confusion with this article, "Failover vs Disaster Recovery."