Changing WAN profile of router on a timer

D

dblumenau

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Hey guys

So I am pretty sure that this is a pipe dream of mine, but I figured that if anyone on earth could answer this question it would be one of you guys on this sub-forum here, but even then, I am skeptical. Still, I really wish this were possible so here goes...
Case:

I have a MWEB 50 GB capped account (because I like getting my full line speed, and having it [relatively] unshaped for youtube etc, and not paying roughly R750 a month for an uncapped 10 mbps line ) that I use during the day which suits me fine.
In general it suits me fine, and since my company insisted on paying for my internet a year in advance for some reason so I can't switch accounts to your favourite ISP before you even suggest that.
I also have a WebAfrica 5 GB capped account that occasionally has promotions of unlimited (up to 50 TB!) 12am to 6am data. This month they are running such a promotion. Yay!

I have all my regular downloads, iTunes downloads, photo syncing, FTP transfers, what have you, etc on a timer that only switches on at 12 and then turns off at 6am.
However, those programs just allow downloads during those time-slots and and then pause the connection at 6am.

Problem:

So what I have been doing is manually changing the WAN account settings in the router from my mweb account to my Webafrica account before bed or at 12, and then when I wake up the next morning, I change the settings back to MWEB.
(BTW: I changed the password for both accounts to the same thing so that I only have to switch in and out the username, instead of the username AND password, but it is still something I manually have to do twice a day.)

This whole drama is not particularly fun, but totally worth it for not blowing through my most of my MWEB cap in one night.
However, these devices are all computers, they are supposed to be programmable to do things automatically, so why do I have to do a mindless drone like activity twice a day?

Proposed Solution:

Somehow get the settings in the router to change over to the WebAfrica at 12 am every night, and then back over the MWEB again in the morning at 6 am automagically (sorry, never used that word before, don't care for it even now)

I have no idea how I would do this, nor if it is even possible.
One possible solution would surely be dependant on ones router so my particular router is an Asus RT-N56U which apparently doesn't play well with neither DD-WRT nor Tomato
Even if it could, I would prefer keeping the Asus firmware and not having to flash it with another.

Besides, I know that many of us on the forums often do this sort of switching WAN accounts, and a one size fits all solution would be quite cool.
Perhaps some sort of Chrome/Firefox browser extension/script that you could teach, to do the exact set of actions that accomplish said account switch.

Any leads (and/or full step by step instructions with screenshots - hey, a man can dream!) would be much appreciated on my side, and perhaps by many others on the forums too!

I would even consider paying someone to write such a script, if that would be what it takes. Not sure how that would work, but I am just throwing that out there.

Thank you so much for reading, and looking forward to your responses!
 
You need to get yourself a Mikrotik router. It can do everything you want and more.
 
deweyzeph said:
You need to get yourself a Mikrotik router. It can do everything you want and more.
Click to expand...

Look, I'm going to have to pull the OP card on that suggestion. :whistle: I am looking for a solution that doesn't involve changing my existing set up.
Once we have exhausted possibilities for the current set up, I'll consider changing routers. Until then, I'm looking for a solution as outlined as above.
 
dblumenau said:
Look, I'm going to have to pull the OP card on that suggestion. :whistle: I am looking for a solution that doesn't involve changing my existing set up.
Once we have exhausted possibilities for the current set up, I'll consider changing routers. Until then, I'm looking for a solution as outlined as above.
Click to expand...

Well if the router doesn't support that function and you've already tried two custom firmware options then there simply isn't any way to do this on your current router.

The only way I could see is to dial the PPPoE connections from the host machine, then you could set this up on a schedule to connect/disconnect at these times.
 
dblumenau said:
Look, I'm going to have to pull the OP card on that suggestion. :whistle: I am looking for a solution that doesn't involve changing my existing set up.
Once we have exhausted possibilities for the current set up, I'll consider changing routers. Until then, I'm looking for a solution as outlined as above.
Click to expand...

Your current setup doesn't offer the functionality...therefore you will have to change it.

Only way would be to remove the PPPoE connection initiation from the Router and move it to the source device (PC?) and then run some software or schedule on there to do what you need.
 
DrJohnZoidberg said:
Well if the router doesn't support that function and you've already tried two custom firmware options then there simply isn't any way to do this on your current router.

The only way I could see is to dial the PPPoE connections from the host machine, then you could set this up on a schedule to connect/disconnect at these times.
Click to expand...

I haven't tried the two custom firmware options. I'm saying that I don't want to change the firmware of the router.
My the algorithm for the computer that I am trying to create is as follows:
Emulate the steps of logging into the computer:
Code: 
GO TO 192.168.1.1, 
TYPE IN USERNAME AND PASSWORD FOR ROUTER
GO TO WAN TAB
GO TO WAN ACCOUNT ENTRY.
DELETE CURRENT TEXT. 
REPLACE WITH THIS TEXT. ETC.

I know that I am being a little annoying with persisting with this, and I do apologise for that.

I have considered the suggestion of DrJohnZoidberg ( dial the PPPoE connections from the host machine) and while that is a step forward, I want all devices that connect to the router to be able to use these new settings during these times, hence my desire for some sort of program that replicates the exact procedure that I do.
 
dblumenau said:
I haven't tried the two custom firmware options. I'm saying that I don't want to change the firmware of the router.
My the algorithm for the computer that I am trying to create is as follows:
Emulate the steps of logging into the computer:
Code: 
GO TO 192.168.1.1, 
TYPE IN USERNAME AND PASSWORD FOR ROUTER
GO TO WAN TAB
GO TO WAN ACCOUNT ENTRY.
DELETE CURRENT TEXT. 
REPLACE WITH THIS TEXT. ETC.

I know that I am being a little annoying with persisting with this, and I do apologise for that.

I have considered the suggestion of DrJohnZoidberg ( dial the PPPoE connections from the host machine) and while that is a step forward, I want all devices that connect to the router to be able to use these new settings during these times, hence my desire for some sort of program that replicates the exact procedure that I do.
Click to expand...

If you want to do it this way I would rather look at using a direct HTTP POSTs using curl. Sounds like a mission though, I would just get a router that supports scheduling.
 
DrJohnZoidberg said:
If you want to do it this way I would rather look at using a direct HTTP POSTs using curl. Sounds like a mission though, I would just get a router that supports scheduling.
Click to expand...

Certainly it will be more of a mission, but we are talking about 1) spending an extra R2k for a router equivalent to my current one 2) doing so when there is a potential solution out there that doesn't involve this.
Using HTTP POST sounds promising though! Thanks for that. I am off to google how to do that.
 
dblumenau said:
Certainly it will be more of a mission, but we are talking about 1) spending an extra R2k for a router equivalent to my current one 2) doing so when there is a potential solution out there that doesn't involve this.
Using HTTP POST sounds promising though! Thanks for that. I am off to google how to do that.
Click to expand...
Or script something in something easy like Python. It'll have to be done by something external from the router that's always on of course.
 
Messugga said:
Or script something in something easy like Python. It'll have to be done by something external from the router that's always on of course.
Click to expand...

dblumenau said:
Yes, that's exactly what I am looking for.
Just have to teach myself Python now...
Click to expand...

This is still going to rely on you using HTTP requests. If you have a linux box somewhere there it would much easier just using a bash script and curl.
 
Ya I must admit that part is nice!
Apparently it made the admin part easier to pay everyone's internet all at once in advance.
 
dblumenau said:
Certainly it will be more of a mission, but we are talking about 1) spending an extra R2k for a router equivalent to my current one 2) doing so when there is a potential solution out there that doesn't involve this.
Using HTTP POST sounds promising though! Thanks for that. I am off to google how to do that.
Click to expand...

Mikrotik routers cost about R500 for a basic one that will do everything you want to achieve. R500 is nothing.
 
Wow, I had no idea! Which Microtik router are you referring to?
But are you sure that it can replace my current router in terms of wireless range? And is it dual band?
This is it in case it helps.
Or are you suggesting that the router somehow acts as a third device in my set up?
Billion modem>Microtik>Asus? Haven't thought of such a set up before, and I didn't think that were possible (not that you are even saying that, so it still is possible that it isn't possible.)
 
dblumenau said:
Wow, I had no idea! Which Microtik router are you referring to?
But are you sure that it can replace my current router in terms of wireless range? And is it dual band?
This is it in case it helps.
Or are you suggesting that the router somehow acts as a third device in my set up?
Billion modem>Microtik>Asus? Haven't thought of such a set up before, and I didn't think that were possible (not that you are even saying that, so it still is possible that it isn't possible.)
Click to expand...

Here is one for around ~R500: http://www.dbg.co.za/product_info.php?cPath=1_8_60&products_id=334
 
Somewhere on this forum before someone mentioned saving the router settings with the two different accounts, and then schedule a task in Windows to upload one of the configs at certain times. This effectively switches accounts, with a bit of downtime in between.

Found it, after a bit of googling.
 
furpile said:
Somewhere on this forum before someone mentioned saving the router settings with the two different accounts, and then schedule a task in Windows to upload one of the configs at certain times. This effectively switches accounts, with a bit of downtime in between.

Found it, after a bit of googling.
Click to expand...

Awesome. Thanks for doing that legwork for me! I could have sworn that I searched the forums up and down for a thread just like that before making this one. If there is one thing that I hate it is a repost asking for info that is already out there.

I'll see if I can adapt /u/daWolf's code to that same thing with my router.

If not I may just have to go the Microtik route.

deweyzeph said:
The entire indoor range is here:

http://www.dbg.co.za/index.php?cPath=1_8_60

Note these are routers only, so you will still need to attach an ADSL modem to it in bridge mode so the router can make the PPPOE connection through the ADSL modem.
Click to expand...

Ya, I understand that. I am using a Billion modem currently with the Asus. But what I was asking is how do I use the Asus together with the Microtik together with the Billion?
 
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