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TAG Balancing

Why should I use TAG load balancing instead of NAT

Some network protocols cannot be NATed easily because they are split over many different sessions with different port numbers and some of the protocols also negotiate session information inside the IP packets which makes it very hard to follow. These "intra-network" protocols are normally used on a WAN Link so Elfiq Networks recommends that you use TAG load balancing.

How do I activate tagging?

Tagging can be activated by enabling the feature called tag_group and configuring the Link LB with acl tag in entries.

Can I do both TAG and NAT load balancing?

Yes, you can do both TAG and NAT load balancing. You can also choose whether you want to do TAG and NAT or if you prefer TAG or NAT.

By default the Link LB will process all the TAG rules before the NAT rules in its IP stack. If a TAG rule is matched the packet will be modified accordingly, the Link LB will go on and then verify the NAT rules, if a NAT rule is matched the packet will be modified again.

You can also configure the Link LB with the feature called tag_nat_exclusive that will instruct the Link LB to act differently. With this feature the Link LB will first evaluate the TAG rules as before. If a TAG rule is matched the packet will be modified accordingly and the NAT rules won't be considered. If no TAG rule is matched the Link LB will then evaluate the NAT rules.