---
title: FAQ
url: https://docs.vultr.com/products/network/load-balancer/faq
description: Frequently asked questions and answers about Vultr's products, services, and platform features.
publish_date: 2024-09-23T20:20:52.164732Z
last_updated: 2026-05-26T19:55:36.889531Z
---

# Frequently Asked Questions About Vultr Load Balancer

These are the frequently asked questions for Vultr Load Balancer.

???+ note "What is Vultr Load Balancer and how does it simplify traffic management?"

    The Vultr Load Balancer is a fully managed solution designed to distribute incoming traffic across multiple backend servers to ensure high availability and reliability of your applications. It simplifies traffic management by automating the distribution process and offering several features.

??? note "What types of load balancing algorithms are available?"

    Vultr Load Balancers support two algorithms:

    * **Round Robin**: Distributes traffic evenly across servers in sequence, without considering the traffic load on each server. This is the default algorithm.
    * **Least Connections**: Directs traffic to the server with the lowest number of active connections, making it ideal for applications with long-running sessions.

??? note "Can I configure firewall rules on a Vultr Load Balancer?"

    Yes, Vultr Load Balancers allow you to configure internal firewall rules similar to Vultr’s stand-alone Firewall. These rules can restrict traffic based on IPs or ranges. You can set firewall rules on the Add Load Balancer page and the Networking menu of the Manage Load Balancer page.

??? note "How do forwarding rules work on a Vultr Load Balancer?"

    Forwarding rules map a Load Balancer port to an Instance port. You can configure rules for HTTP, HTTPS, or TCP protocols. For instance, you might forward HTTP port 80 on the Load Balancer to port 8000 on the instances. You can create up to 15 forwarding rules.

??? note "How do I view metrics for my Vultr Load Balancer?"

    Metrics are available on the Metrics tab of the Manage Load Balancer page after the Load Balancer has been running for a few minutes. Metrics provide insights into performance and health.

??? note "How can I use VPC network with my Load Balancer?"

    The VPC Network option allows you to forward traffic via a Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) instead of the public network if your instances are attached to a VPC. Changing the network interface will briefly disrupt connections.

??? note "What is the default interval between health checks and how can it be changed?"

    The default interval between health checks is 15 seconds. You can adjust this interval when configuring health checks on the Add Load Balancer page or the Health Checks menu of the Manage Load Balancer page.

??? note "What are the restrictions on ports when configuring firewall rules?"

    When setting firewall rules on a Vultr Load Balancer, ports 65300 to 65310 are reserved for internal use by the Load Balancer and cannot be configured for traffic forwarding.

??? note "What is the maximum number of forwarding rules I can create?"

    You can create a maximum of 15 forwarding rules for each Load Balancer.

??? note "What should I do if my instances fail health checks?"

    If an instance fails health checks:

    * Verify that the instance is running and accessible.
    * Check the configured port and protocol for accuracy.
    * Adjust health check parameters such as the interval, timeout, and thresholds if necessary.

??? note "How can I manage Load Balancers using the API?"

    The Vultr API provides endpoints to:

    * [Create, list, and update](https://www.vultr.com/api/#tag/load-balancer) Load Balancers.
    * [Manage forwarding rules](https://www.vultr.com/api/#tag/load-balancer/operation/create-load-balancer-forwarding-rules), including creation, listing, retrieval, and deletion.