What hardware do I need to add a backup internet connection?

Solution 1:

We use the Draytek Vigor 3300 for failover - suports up to 4 WAN connections. They work a charm - but are not that cheap.

The retail Vigor 2820 supports 2 WAN connections and is far more reasonably priced.

Solution 2:

There are some affordable routers on the market that support failover to a secondary LAN connection (Netgear has a few).

Solution 3:

Minimal setup: None. Just set up the second source on the network, plug it into its own router (Or the same one if it supports Dual WAN), and plug both routers into the hub. Set all your computers with a secondary gateway/dns/wins/etc of the second router's IP.

Or you could just buy a router that supports dual WAN, but they're pricey. It'll failover automatically.

Solution 4:

As already stated the easiest solution is to use a router that allows for dual WAN connections. I'm currently using the HotBrick LB2 firewall on my (home) network. It's great and faily easy to set up. So far it's been up for about 2 months with no issues.

Solution 5:

Some of the newer home routers -- such as the DIR-825 from DLink -- have a USB port on the back where you can plug in a 3G wireless broadband adapter.

Currently using this at home with Sprint EVDO RevA ($59/mo) as a backup WAN.