Internet Failover for Your Office: 2 ISP Redundancy

Your ISP always goes down at the worst possible time. The register stops printing receipts, 1C stops syncing, IP telephony calls drop. Internet failover solves this: if your main ISP goes down, the router switches to backup before you even notice there’s a problem. This fits offices where network downtime costs more than a second internet contract.

What’s included

• Connecting two or three ISPs to a single router
• Automatic switchover to backup when the main link fails
• Real-time quality monitoring for each link
• Outage alerts via Telegram or email
• Live test with the main ISP physically disconnected

How the work is done

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    S3["3. Automatic switchover and failback"]
    S4["4. Telegram or email alerts"]
    S5["5. Test by disconnecting the main link"]
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    S2 --> S3
    S3 --> S4
    S4 --> S5
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1. Review current and second connection. I check what you already have: which router, which ISP, whether there’s a second link already or you need an LTE modem.
2. Configure link availability checks. I use recursive routing or Netwatch, MikroTik mechanisms that continuously check if a link is alive by polling external addresses.
3. Automatic switchover and failback. I set up the logic: main link drops, traffic moves to backup; main link recovers, traffic moves back.
4. Telegram or email alerts. You find out about an internet problem before your accountant calls asking why the register isn’t working.
5. Test by disconnecting the main link. I test it live: pull the main ISP’s cable and confirm the switchover actually works and completes within tens of seconds.

Equipment needed

You need a MikroTik with two WAN ports (I’ll pick one for the job if you don’t have a router yet) and a second ISP or an LTE modem as backup. If you don’t have a second ISP yet, you can start with LTE backup, it connects faster.

What gets deployed

You end up with failover across 2-3 links at once, automatic switchover between them, continuous link quality monitoring, and alerts for any outage.

What you get

• Office internet with no downtime when one ISP goes down
• Switchover to backup in tens of seconds, not hours waiting on ISP support
• Outage alerts before your staff even notices
• A tested system, not a config that only works “on paper”

Pricing

The base price doesn’t include connecting the second ISP or its monthly fee, these are separate costs you pay directly to the provider.

Not included: Connecting the second ISP and its monthly fee.

After delivery: 14 days of free fixes for any issues. After that: one-off work at 2,000 ₽/hour or support plans from 4,000 ₽/month.

What I need from you

• Contracts or account details for both ISPs
• Access to the router (physical or remote)
• Details on the current setup, if it’s non-standard

FAQ

Is internet failover setup done remotely?

Yes, the whole setup is done remotely through access to the router.

How long does office internet failover setup take?

1-2 days from the moment I have router access and the second ISP’s details.

What if I don’t have a second ISP or a MikroTik?

I’ll pick a router for the job. You can temporarily replace the second ISP with an LTE modem while you sign up with another carrier.

What’s included in setting up two ISPs on MikroTik?

Availability checks for each link, automatic switchover and failback, quality monitoring, and alerts via Telegram or email. All of it gets tested live, with the main link physically disconnected.

What happens after the work is delivered?

I fix any issues that come up in real operation for free for 14 days. After that, one-off work is billed separately, or you can get ongoing support.

Can you set up load balancing between links instead of just failover?

Yes, that’s a separate service on top of base failover, if you want to use both links at the same time instead of keeping one on standby.