Can I combine two internet connections to get a faster connection?

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There aren't any extremely simple ways to do this, but pfSense (www.pfsense.org), a free open source firewall, does have multi-WAN capabilities so if you have an old PC and a few network cards, you can accomplish this entirely with free software. You can use policy-based routing, to say send HTTP out one connection, mail out another connection, P2P traffic to one connection, etc. and can also do load balancing.

Not exactly a breeze for a novice to setup, but not insurmountable either.

If u hv an old junk Pentium 2 computer, U can put in a free linux OS and configure it for Dual WAN, Dual NIC, QOS service. visit http://www.brazilfw.com.br. Donate if u find it useful. Free Load Balancer and loads more feture for hobbyist.

A bit off topic I know, but I noticed you said "My DSL is limited to 768k down and 128k up. Nowadays that's slow.." I live in Australia, and while speeds greater then that are avaliable in my area, your connection is considered very good. My connection of 512K/128K is considered unecessarly fast, especially when a lot of people are using dial up (56K). Here most people pray for speeds greater then the 128K broadband average. Why arn't people satisfied with connections 10 times faster then what was avaliable 5 years ago? What has tecnology done to civilisation? A bit over the top I know, but I think you know what I'm getting at.

When will people be satisified with what they have.

If you had 2 connection, can you assign each each software or program for each of the connection? for example, firefox browser using connection 1 and IE using connection 2, instead of combining the two.

Chris: I can answer that last one: never! :-)

Seriously, though, I think we all (or at least 'us geeks') expand our usage to exceed our capacity, no matter what we have. And the same is true of available content and applications.

5 years ago things like youtube and google video didn't exist. iTunes wasn't in the picture. And I wasn't trying to remote-manage my wife's business across the net. Now speeds are making such things possible. I can do all of that today with my 768/128, it's true. But I'd do them faster, and start doing some new things, with a faster connection.

IE on one, Firefox on the other: no, no way that I can think of. If there is, it's most certainly not easy.

Well... it can be done and others have mentioned the load-balancing firewall. The missing bit is being able to adjust the routing tables on the "far side" of the connection... it is possible (and is provided for), but most ISP's won't let you mess with them because if you make a mistake, you can wind up with things like "all internet traffic bound for Italy goes through my house" (urg!), so most ISP's won't let you mess with the routing tables.

You might be able to explain what you want and get them to put the rules in though...

I'd just like to point out that not everyone in Australia considers 512/128 adequate. I'm currently on a 1500/256 and a bit annoyed that I can't get 12000/1000 because my phone line does not run direct to an exchange - it's on a subexchange. The 1500 down is fine, it's the 256up that's too slow.

Cannot it be success with a software, I have been asking as a newbie in network field...

I just looked on-line and it seems that there are now load balancing routers that appear affordable

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