Businesses are tricky, and you must have a stable internet connection to manage your website, customers, and financial transactions. This is why you must adopt the redundancy method, which uses several other channels; even if one channel fails, the others will help your internet to run. Here’s everything you need to know about this hack to save your internet connections!
Importance of internet reliability for businesses
- Communication and collaboration: No telling what your employees need the internet for. They need it to access large files and attend calls when they need to present something, which would work only if there were a reliable connection. They also need to stay in contact with the clients around the clock when they are at the office so that essential updates and feedback are considered.
- Access to cloud-based applications and services: Many businesses have opted for cloud storage options since there are many files and information to be stored, which is possible only through cloud storage. This needs a stable and reliable internet connection.
- Customer service and support: Businesses contact their clients via email or calls to resolve issues promptly, which again requires a high-speed internet connection.
- Online sales and marketing: Businesses use the internet to sell products and services and attract customers. A reliable internet connection is essential for brands to reach their sales target.
The cost of downtime: Why does internet reliability matter?
Internet downtime can have a significant financial impact on all businesses. The cost of downtime can vary on several factors, such as the size of the company, the industry it works for, and the shutdown duration. However, even a short period of downtime can bring in losses. There are several other ways in which downtime has an influence:
- Productivity losses: Employees can’t work when the internet is slow, affecting productivity.
- Customer dissatisfaction: Customers may get disappointed if they don’t get results as promised or when it takes time for their website to work after a revamp.
- Damage to reputation: Businesses with frequent downtime are prone to lose customers with time, which may lead to a significant loss, which may result in shutting down their business.
Here are some tips for increasing internet reliability for your business:
- Choose a reliable internet service provider (ISP).
- Use an internet connection for a business with high speed and more bandwidth.
- Implement a load balancer to distribute traffic across multiple servers.
- Have a backup internet connection in place.
- Develop a disaster recovery plan.
Types of internet connection redundancy: Which one fits your business?
There are different types of internet connection redundancy, each with advantages and disadvantages. Your business’s best type of redundancy will depend on your specific needs and budget.
Here are some of the most common types of internet connection redundancy:
- Dual ISP: This involves having two internet connections from different ISPs and one taking over another when it’s slow. If you want to resolve it affordably, this is the way.
- Load balancing: What if your traffic is distributed among different channels so you can use the following channel when one server is down? You may think this sounds better than the previous one, but load balancing is expensive.
- MPLS: Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) is a networking technology that can create a virtual private network (VPN) instead of a public one. MPLS can be used to implement redundancy by creating multiple VPNs. This is a more complex and expensive solution but promises better performance and reliability than the previous two options.
- SD-WAN: Software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) is a newer technology that can implement redundancy and other networking features based on software. SD-WAN creates a hybrid network that combines several internet connections, like MPLS, broadband, and LTE. This can provide a more flexible and cost-effective way to implement redundancy.
Consider these factors also when choosing redundancy:
- Budget: Redundancy can be expensive, so choosing a solution that fits your budget is essential.
- Performance: Some types of redundancy solutions can harm performance, and choose your kind wisely, which does not affect performance.
- Reliability: Some types of redundancy solutions serve you better than others. Since this is an expensive affair, choose what works best.
- Flexibility: Some types of redundancy solutions are more flexible, and it’s important to go for the one that can be adapted to your budget and requests.
Setting up redundancy: A step-by-step guide for businesses
- Choose a type of redundancy: There are several types mentioned above. Look at your budget and needs and pick what works best for you.
- Purchase the necessary equipment and services: If you implement dual ISP redundancy, you must purchase two internet connections from different _ISPs. If you implement load-balancing redundancy, you must purchase a load balancer. If implementing MPLS or SD-WAN redundancy, you must purchase the necessary equipment and services from your network service provider.
- Configure your network: Once you have the necessary equipment and services, you must configure your network to implement redundancy. This process will vary depending on the type of redundancy you have chosen.
- Test your redundancy: Once you have configured your network, you should test your redundancy to ensure it works properly. You can do this by disconnecting one of your internet connections and verifying that the other connection takes over.
We are sure you will choose the right of redundancy to help save the poor internet connection at business, so you must select Excitel today!
Frequently Asked Question (FAQs)
- What is internet connection redundancy, and why do businesses need it?
Internet connection redundancy refers to multiple internet connections which ensure uninterrupted access and protect businesses from downtime. - What are the main benefits of having redundant internet connections?
Reduced downtime, improved reliability, and increased resilience benefit from a redundant internet connection. - What are the different types of internet connection redundancy?
Dual ISP, load balancing, MPLS, and SD-WAN are a few types of internet connection redundancy.
