[ILUG] Routing box for combining Internet connections to get a good mix of ISP service!!

[TreeFrog TreeFrog]

Hi all,
been a while since I last looked in here.. been busy trying to sell my
body.. no luck yet. Someone start the bidding!!!!
anyone!
no....
thought not. :-/

I've been looking at ways to combat or make the best of the current
ISP service problem we have.. perhaps some of you are not affected due
to the fact your ISP service meets your needs. whatever service it is
you are getting.

We have:
--IBB who sell some interesting products. (one good point is up speed
should be about the same as down speed but contention is bugging some
of us to death).
--Smart who many are interested in but cant get yet (no contention is
very attractive part of product but up speed is limited)
--Eircom who I have not used but hear grumblings about
and a collection of others some with caps and some with this or that..

So I was thinking of seeing if it is possible to share and rout, mix
and match connections about a bit. To get the best of what each
service has for all involved. speed, bandwidth, availability when
resources are being used up here or there. A sort of Differential
routing system with two or more connections.

Between local friends at first and perhaps a larger group through the
Irish WAN guys.
Now I have been finding it hard to get any response from the Irish WAN
guys out west or the Dublin guys. (if any are here please say Hi I'd
like to talk connections)

On a more immediate level I'd like to get my head round the setup
needed. It probably requires a dedicated Linux routing box of some
sort but I need a few pointers. I know nothing.

Is anyone dong anything like it already?
It must be something larger WAN setups do already in some way.

Thanks

Fred.