TABLE OF CONTENTS



Products Covered

All Peplink MAX and Balance Series products running Firmware 8.3.0 or higher

Summary

Having multiple data plans or internet sources is a major advantage of Peplink equipment — but only if those connections are managed correctly. This guide explains how Peplink handles connections at two layers:

  1. At the modem level (SIM prioritization inside a single modem)

  2. At the dashboard level (overall WAN prioritization and load balancing)

Understanding both layers will help you get the most out of your hardware, avoid unnecessary failover events, and optimize your internet stability.

At the modem level

Every Peplink router with cellular capability includes at least one modem, and each modem has two SIM slots. Even though only one SIM can be active at a time per modem, you can manage how the router uses both SIMs.

This is controlled on the Cellular Details page.

 

 

SIM Priority Options

 


  • Alternate between SIM A and SIM B
    Use this if you want both plans to be consumed at roughly the same rate throughout the month.

  • Custom Selection
    Choose only the SIM you want active. No automatic failover will occur.

  • Priority-based SIM Failover
    Choose SIM A as priority 1 and SIM B as priority 2 (or vice versa).
    If the primary SIM loses its connection, the router will switch to the secondary SIM.

Note: SIM failover is not immediate. Connecting to a new SIM may take up to a few minutes. This is normal behavior because the modem must renegotiate the cellular session.


Signal Threshold Settings


Below SIM priority, you’ll see the Signal Threshold slider.

  • Set fully to the left (recommended for most customers)

  • If the cellular signal drops below this threshold, the modem considers the connection “unacceptable” and will move to another available internet source

  • This feature is useful only when multiple strong WAN connections exist

  • With fewer WAN options, the threshold should remain at the default low setting

For most users, leaving this at its minimum setting avoids unnecessary disconnects.


At the dashboard level

Peplink routers — whether single or dual modem — can combine multiple WAN sources:

  • Cellular

  • Ethernet WAN

  • Wi-Fi as WAN

Each of these WANs can strengthen your setup through redundancy or load distribution.

How Peplink Uses Priorities

Peplink organizes WAN connections into Priority Groups:

  • Priority 1 – Primary connections

  • Priority 2 – Standby connections

  • Priority 3+ – Backup or long-shot connections

  • Disabled – Not in use

The router always attempts to use Priority 1 connections first.
If none of them provides internet, it moves to Priority 2, and so on.

This check happens continuously, so the router always seeks the highest-priority working connection.

Failover Behavior

Dashboard-level failover is different from SIM switching:

  • Standby WANs (e.g., Ethernet, Wi-Fi WAN, secondary cellular) are always ready

  • When the active WAN fails, the router switches with minimal interruption

  • You might see a tiny blip as the IP address changes

If you need zero interruption, even during failover:

Enable SpeedFusion Hot Failover, which maintains encrypted tunnels across multiple WANs.  

This eliminates packet loss during transitions.


Automatic Return to Higher Priority

If the router is using a Priority 2 WAN and a Priority 1 WAN comes back online, it will automatically switch back. This keeps your preferred connection at the top.


Moving WANs Between Priority Levels

To reorder WANs:

  • Click and hold the three-bar icon next to a WAN (red Arrow)

  • Drag it into Priority 1, 2, 3, or Disabled




Load Balancing (Multiple WANs in Priority 1)

 

 

The setup above has one cellular connection active in priority 1 with a WAN connection in standby (connected to the internet, not in use) in priority 2.

 

 

Conversely, here is the same router with both connections in priority 1. 


If you place more than one WAN in Priority 1, the router will load balance between them.

What this means:

  • Sessions are distributed across available WANs

  • No single WAN becomes overloaded

  • Some devices may experience different speeds depending on which WAN they land on

Peplink also supports advanced outbound policies for users who want to assign specific devices or applications to specific WANs.


See? Configuring Peplink Network To Utilize Specific WAN Source 

 

There Is No Perfect Setup — Only the Best Setup for You

Peplink gives you a huge amount of flexibility. You can design a simple, reliable priority structure or create a highly customized setup using every connection and feature available.

If you’re using SpeedFusion, you can take this even further with seamless bonding, WAN smoothing, and hot failover.

Ultimately, the right configuration depends on your goals:

  • Speed

  • Reliability

  • Data distribution

  • Carrier redundancy

  • Streaming

  • Work-from-home stability

Peplink can adapt to all of these needs.

Requesting Assistance

If you’re stuck, unsure about your configuration, or want help tuning your setup, our team is here to help.

We’ll walk you through your configuration and ensure your Peplink is set up exactly the way you need.