This is a step-by-step walkthrough for setting up SpeedFusion Connect (formerly SpeedFusion Cloud) on a Peplink device. SpeedFusion Connect lets you bond or fail over your WAN links through a Peplink-hosted endpoint, without running your own FusionHub. If you want the background on what it does and when to use it, read our overview article, "Setting Up SpeedFusion Connect for Bonding and Hot Failover," first.
Important: SpeedFusion Connect setup can only be done from the Device Web Admin, not from InControl2. Once the tunnel is configured on the device, however, policies that use the tunnel, such as Outbound Policy, can be managed through InControl2.
Before you begin
- Your device is on firmware 8.3 or later. Back up your configuration before making changes.
- You have an active SpeedFusion Connect allowance (a data quota or subscription, often included with a PrimeCare/CarePlan). Usage draws from this.
- The device is registered in InControl2.
- You have at least two working WAN connections if your goal is bonding or failover (one is fine if you only want the secure/public-exit benefit).
Step 1: Set your WAN priorities
SpeedFusion Connect only uses WAN connections that are in Priority 1 on the Dashboard. Any link left in Priority 2 or lower will not carry tunnel traffic.
- Go to the device's Dashboard.
- Drag every WAN connection you want the tunnel to use into Priority 1.
- Leave a link in a lower priority only if you specifically want it held in reserve (note this adds failover delay, since a standby link has to connect before it can be used).
Step 2: Open the SpeedFusion Connect settings (Device Web Admin)
Remember, this part must be done on the device itself, not in InControl2.
- From the Dashboard, open the device Web Admin if you aren't already there.
- Go to the SpeedFusion Connect (or SFC Protect) menu item.
Step 3: Enable Client Mode and choose a location
- Click Client Mode.
- Choose a server location. Pick the one closest to you for the lowest latency, or set it to Automatic to let the device select.
- Save/apply so the device establishes the tunnel to that location.
Step 4: Choose how the tunnel behaves
Decide how SpeedFusion Connect should use your Priority 1 links:
- Bonding: combine the links so a single stream can use their combined throughput. By default, all Priority 1 links will be bonded inside of a SpeedFusion Connect tunnel.
- Hot Failover: keep the session alive across links if one drops. Hot Failover will automatically occur within a SpeedFusion Connect tunnel.
- WAN Smoothing or FEC: enable and adjust these for real-time traffic (VoIP, video). See our article WAN Smoothing vs. Forward Error Correction (FEC): Which to Use to choose, and be mindful of the extra bandwidth WAN Smoothing consumes.
Not sure whether you even want bonding versus simple load balancing? See Bonding vs. Load Balancing: What's the Difference?
Step 5: Route traffic through the tunnel
Bringing the tunnel up does not automatically send your traffic through it. Use an outbound policy to steer the traffic you want protected. This step can be done either on the Device Web Admin or in InControl2 (since the tunnel already exists on the device). The instructions below are based on the Device Web Admin:
- Go to Advanced > Outbound Policy and add a rule.
- Set the source to Any (or a specific device/subnet).
- Set the destination/protocol to the application or traffic you want to protect (or Any to send everything).
- Set the algorithm to Priority or Enforced.
- Set the connection to your SpeedFusion Connect tunnel.
- Save and apply.
A common approach is to use the tunnel for only latency-sensitive or critical traffic (VoIP, video, a specific app) through the tunnel, and let everything else load-balance across your WANs directly. This conserves your SpeedFusion Connect data. If you manage a fleet, configuring the outbound policy in InControl2 lets you apply it consistently across devices.
Troubleshooting tips
- Tunnel won't connect? Confirm the WANs are in Priority 1 and actually online, and that the device has an active SpeedFusion Connect allowance.
- Traffic not using the tunnel? Re-check your outbound policy. Without an Enforced rule, traffic will keep using your direct WANs.
- Poor real-time performance? Try a closer server location and enable WAN Smoothing or FEC for that traffic.
- Burning through data? Narrow the outbound policy so only critical traffic uses the tunnel, and reconsider WAN Smoothing levels.
Need a hand designing or tuning a SpeedFusion Connect deployment? Reach out to sales[at]llamanetworks[dot]com.