Wan

Oct 18, 2019

SD-WAN Management Costs, Wargamed

In house or outsourced? This is an age-old question for many firms. 

Aug 28, 2019

WAN Wargaming: What Happens When You Leave MPLS Behind?

Welcome back to our blog series on “wargaming” WAN configurations to see how product choice can affect site bandwidth and total WAN costs. If you’re just joining us, it’s probably worth going back to the beginning

When we last left off, my colleague Elizabeth Thorne covered minimizing MPLS down to the core offices. The next couple of entries, however, are going to focus on the radicals. Yes, the daring folks who decide to leave behind MPLS and go full internet.

Aug 6, 2019

Adding SD-WAN, Keeping MPLS

My wife has a brutal Northern Virginia commute; she drives about 80 miles a day. Recently, we decided it was time for a new car for her.

Aug 1, 2019

Wargaming Your WAN: MPLS-Broadband Edition

Hello and welcome to the third entry in our series about wargaming WAN configuration scenarios. We’ve made it to the MPLS-broadband edition!

Before we continue: if you haven’t read the previous entries where I introduce our hypothetical WAN and then add local internet breakouts with DIA, it probably makes sense to do that before you dive into this one. (This scenario mirrors our last, but replaces DIA with ISP-sourced business broadband.)

Jul 22, 2019

Adopting Local Internet Breakouts in an MPLS-DIA Hybrid WAN

Welcome to the second entry in this series on “wargaming” WAN scenarios to make sure you’re getting the most bandwidth bang for your buck. 

The first actual scenario we’re going to tackle is adopting local internet breakouts in an MPLS-DIA hybrid WAN. Let’s dive in.

Jul 18, 2019

Why Should You Model WAN Costs? Our New Blog Series Will Show You.

I recently finished Seveneves by science fiction author and telecom enthusiast Neal Stephenson.

This book tells the story of near-future humanity struggling to survive after the moon explodes and threatens to end all life on Earth. The scientific and military elite game out their way forward, running models to identify scenarios with the highest probability of survival.

This brings me to wide area networking.

Apr 8, 2019

Picking Your Provider: How Carrier Selection Affects Your WAN Costs

My grandfather told stories about his days as a milkman in the 50s. To a kid growing up 30 years later, the concept seemed pretty weird. Why would someone drive to your house with your milk instead of you picking it up at the grocery store with the other food?

Feb 27, 2019

You're Going to be Reading More About Managed SD-WAN

While independent SD-WAN vendors make their mark, traditional telecom service providers are rolling out their own managed SD-WAN offerings.

Yes, some have developed their own SD-WAN technology, but most carriers have partnered with an SD-WAN vendor to provide a managed SD-WAN option.

Aug 21, 2018

SD-WAN Full Mesh Capabilities Were a Big Draw for Henkel

Consumer products company Henkel converted a portion of its global network, primarily in Asia, to SD-WAN.

What sold them on the switch? SD-WAN’s ability to support full mesh capability and application-based routing were big selling points.

Jul 2, 2018

Uptime Requirements Drive BorgWarner’s Migration to SD-WAN

There were several drivers behind BorgWarner’s decision to adopt SD-WAN, but perhaps the most important was that they “needed multiple avenues to keep manufacturing sites up and running,” according to Mark Williams, senior information technology manager for the company.