By: John Shepler
As more business moves online and companies shift their IT to the cloud, the demand for WAN bandwidth continues to rise. These days, even small businesses frequently require reliable dedicated internet and inter-office network bandwidth in the range of 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps. Larger companies, particularly those dealing with tech-heavy products, services, or medical imaging, can easily saturate Gigabit connections, making a transition to 10 Gigabit Ethernet WAN a worthwhile consideration.
Categories of High-Speed WAN Networks
High-bandwidth connectivity generally falls into two types: Dedicated Internet Access and dedicated or virtually private lines.
Dedicated Internet Access links your business to the internet through a highly dependable broadband connection, usually fiber optic. It’s termed “dedicated” to differentiate it from shared bandwidth options like cable, DSL, satellite, and cellular wireless. This means your business has the entire line capacity, eliminating competition from other users on the connection.
While the internet itself is inherently a shared resource where your data packets compete with others, a dedicated access line generally leads to a smoother online experience. This is because most internet congestion typically occurs in the “last mile” connections leading to end users.
However, for business-critical functions like call centers or core cloud services, bypassing the internet altogether might be preferable. This necessitates a direct link between your location and your service provider, who may or may not be cloud-based. Similarly, interconnecting your own business sites might require a private network of dedicated lines.
Content Delivery Networks
Content delivery networks (CDNs) offer a form of “private internet.” Studios and other video providers have realized that the public internet can’t always manage the volume of simultaneous high-definition streams users demand. CDNs enhance the end-user experience by placing content closer to them, short of a direct connection. These networks comprise multiple geographically distributed servers interconnected and linked to “Points of Presence” near users.
Handling such streaming traffic requires CDNs to be extremely fast. 10 Gbps bandwidth could be the minimum, with potential scaling needs reaching 100 Gbps and beyond.
The use of CDNs extends beyond high-volume video streaming. They also improve website responsiveness and manage traffic spikes by distributing content across servers closer to users. This geographical load balancing results in better response times and prevents server overload.
MPLS Networks
A Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) network is a private, multi-user network that provides an alternative to the public internet for critical operations. MPLS networks offer regional, national, or international Points of Presence (POPs), requiring you to only connect from your business to the nearest POP. The network provider manages the long-haul connections between POPs.
Cost-effectiveness is a major advantage of MPLS over private networks. Unlike the internet, MPLS guarantees performance. Its label switching protocol for traffic control isn’t susceptible to standard internet protocol hacking tools. Additionally, access is restricted to paying customers, not the general public, adding a layer of data security.
Locating 10 Gbps Connections
10 Gbps bandwidth was once considered exclusive to carrier core networks and large enterprises. The initial fiber optic standard, OC-192, operated at 10 Ghz, with OC-768 offering 40 Gbps.
Carrier Ethernet, a newer standard, offers easy scalability over fiber from 10 Mbps to 100 Gbps, with 10 Gbps readily available. In certain areas, 100 Gbps Ethernet WAN connections are even accessible for highly demanding needs. This service level is expected to become more common, with future advancements targeting Terabits per second.
If your location, or one nearby, has fiber optic service, obtaining 10 Gigabit Ethernet can be swift. Some metropolitan areas also offer 10 Gbps service through point-to-point line-of-sight microwave, enabling faster installation and potentially avoiding high fiber installation costs if not already in place.
If your business requires high-bandwidth, reliable, low-latency, and low-packet-loss connections, explore available 10 Gigabit Ethernet WAN services.
