{"id":8069,"date":"2021-08-18T12:06:47","date_gmt":"2021-08-18T09:06:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/technologyreviewer.com\/?p=8069"},"modified":"2021-08-18T12:06:47","modified_gmt":"2021-08-18T09:06:47","slug":"is-sd-wan-right-for-your-company","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/abodeinternet.com\/is-sd-wan-right-for-your-company\/","title":{"rendered":"How do you know if SD WAN will be right for your company?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Is SD WAN right for your company? Since entering the scene as a relatively unknown technology a few short years ago, SD WAN has become an IT solution popular with businesses across the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While there\u2019s plenty of great information out there about what SD WAN can do for your business because it\u2019s so young there\u2019s also a lot of exaggerations and misinformation &#8211; and it\u2019s not always easy to separate the truth from the lies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s why we\u2019re here to clarify what SD WAN can really offer your business and whether it\u2019s the right investment for your company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_62 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/abodeinternet.com\/is-sd-wan-right-for-your-company\/#What_is_SD_WAN\" title=\"What is SD WAN?\">What is SD WAN?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/abodeinternet.com\/is-sd-wan-right-for-your-company\/#How_Is_SD_WAN_Different_From_Traditional_WANs\" title=\"How Is SD WAN Different From Traditional WANs?\">How Is SD WAN Different From Traditional WANs?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/abodeinternet.com\/is-sd-wan-right-for-your-company\/#What_benefits_could_SD_WAN_bring_to_your_business\" title=\"What benefits could SD WAN bring to your business?\">What benefits could SD WAN bring to your business?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/abodeinternet.com\/is-sd-wan-right-for-your-company\/#Getting_new_sites_up_and_running\" title=\"Getting new sites up and running\">Getting new sites up and running<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/abodeinternet.com\/is-sd-wan-right-for-your-company\/#Quick_class_of_service_adjustments\" title=\"Quick class of service adjustments\">Quick class of service adjustments<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/abodeinternet.com\/is-sd-wan-right-for-your-company\/#Central_security_provisions\" title=\"Central security provisions\">Central security provisions<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/abodeinternet.com\/is-sd-wan-right-for-your-company\/#Conclusion\" title=\"Conclusion\">Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_SD_WAN\"><\/span><a><\/a>What is SD WAN?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To understand what SD WAN is, we can compare it against a more traditional WAN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Basically, pretty much every business with multiple locations will have a WAN in some form. At its most simple, a WAN is a series of locations that all branch off from the same central IT provision. This hub can then provide application access to any location on the network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>Further reading: <a href=\"https:\/\/abodeinternet.com\/push-notifications-marketing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">What is the Role of Push Notification in Marketing?<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>These branches typically have their own dedicated internet connection that is configured to work as part of a wider <a href=\"https:\/\/abodeinternet.com\/how-to-install-vpn-on-a-router\/\">virtual private network (VPN)<\/a>. This gives the network greater security when connected to the wider internet, protecting data that passes through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to holding all of the services and applications for the network, the hub location will also typically be where the IT team operates from. But the question is is SD-WAN right for your company?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Is_SD_WAN_Different_From_Traditional_WANs\"><\/span><a><\/a>How Is SD WAN Different From Traditional WANs?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>So, SD-WAN doesn\u2019t actually change any of what we just told you about WANs! Instead, it\u2019s an overlay that can be placed onto your existing WAN, connecting to each of your network devices and providing an extra layer of control that can be remotely accessed from anywhere on the network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because SD WAN exists as a tool to unify your network, it means that the additional controls you gain can be accessed from a singular interface compatible with every device &#8211; from a business perspective, this can be extremely beneficial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>Read more: <a href=\"https:\/\/abodeinternet.com\/best-modem-for-small-business\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Best Modems for a Small Business<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>But it isn\u2019t all about this extra level of control. Within a network, your devices will be using a variety of languages to communicate &#8211; for instance, data sent over a traditional wired connection will be handled in a different way to data sent across a wireless connection. SD WAN can also function to virtualize this language, allowing different connections to be used together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, if you want to connect one location using a 4G router, and another with a VPN-protected internet circuit, SD WAN can make this a reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can see how this becomes useful from a business point of view, allowing for much more flexibility in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/30186\/network-design\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">network design<\/a>, especially when it comes to getting new sites online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_benefits_could_SD_WAN_bring_to_your_business\"><\/span>What benefits could SD WAN bring to your business?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that we\u2019ve gone over how SD WAN differs from traditional tech from an IT point of view, it\u2019s time to delve into the SD WAN business benefits for your company.  At the end of the day, it doesn\u2019t matter how advanced the technology is if you can\u2019t make it work for your company!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Getting_new_sites_up_and_running\"><\/span>Getting new sites up and running<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As we discussed earlier, one of the major benefits of SD WAN is its ability to let you control your systems with one unified language, and this can be particularly useful when you\u2019re getting new sites up and running.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are actually two benefits here: as well as \u2018getting to grips\u2019 with devices that are physically miles away, you can also remove the problem of language barriers between connection types. Therefore, if it\u2019ll be more efficient to provide a site with a 4G router than to wait on a different internet connection, SD WAN will allow for this, even if you\u2019re utilizing traditional circuits elsewhere in your network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>Additional reading: <a href=\"https:\/\/abodeinternet.com\/best-vpn-routers-for-small-business\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Best VPN Routers for Small Business<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>SD WAN can\u2019t solve all your problems in this area, though, as connection type compatibility is only one small part of provisioning a new site. You\u2019ll need to make sure that someone is at the location ensuring that all of the equipment is in place and plugged in &#8211; if not, then your fancy SD WAN system will have nothing to work with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you can do this, though, then your IT team can work on configuring everything remotely, likely saving you time even if it isn\u2019t a completely magical solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Quick_class_of_service_adjustments\"><\/span>Quick class of service adjustments<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you rely on certain applications in your day-to-day operations, as many businesses nowadays do, then SD WAN could prove much more useful than a traditional WAN system. This is because it comes with a pathway control system, meaning that your highest priority data can get across your network quickly even if there\u2019s heavy traffic taking up space elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rather than making adjustments on each device, SD WAN lets you roll out <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Class_of_service\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Class of Service (or COS)<\/a> preferences quickly and simply across your entire network. This means that on-the-fly tweaks are easily done &#8211; ideal if you work in an ever-changing landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>Additional reading: <a href=\"https:\/\/abodeinternet.com\/outsourcing-noc-benefits-businesses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Benefits of outsourcing NOC for a business<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>But this doesn\u2019t mean that there aren\u2019t some limitations with SD WAN in this regard. You shouldn\u2019t expect the level of functionality that an MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching) system can provide. While MPLS can allow data to be micromanaged from each application, SD WAN can\u2019t provide quite this level of detailed control yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Central_security_provisions\"><\/span>Central security provisions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Similar to how provisions like applications, data, etc. can be delivered from a single hub location, security can also be provided across your network from this same central point if you\u2019re utilizing an SD WAN system. Often, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sas.co.uk\/blog\/what-is-sase\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a combination of SD WAN networking and security<\/a> is referred to as \u2018SASE\u2019 \u2013 or \u2018Secure Access Service Edge\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Data security is more important now than it has ever been, and it will only become more and more important as our reliance on technology continues to grow. Keeping all of your provisions in one location that can allow you to monitor network security is a great way to improve the safety of your network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>Additional reading: <a href=\"https:\/\/abodeinternet.com\/e-invoicing-for-business-transactions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">A New Era Of Business Transactions: E-Invoicing<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>In previous years, network security has been provided in the form of a firewall that provides dedicated protection to each physical location. Because SD WAN lets you roll out any app to any location in the network, your security provisions can be held centrally as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll need to speak to a provider who can design a security solution for you if this sounds like an attractive option, but if you go down this route, you\u2019ll most likely discover that it becomes much easier to manage than having separate provisions at each site &#8211; and usually, simpler management means more robust security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ve heard about SD WAN and you want to know if it will be right for your company. That\u2019s a great question! The answer is that it depends on what your business needs are, but the good news is that we can help you figure out which one of our products might work best for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We offer three different types of SD WAN solutions &#8211; each with their own benefits and drawbacks. It all comes down to how much bandwidth you need, where your data centers are located, and how many locations do you have?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The truth is, there are many benefits of using SD WAN and only some drawbacks &#8211; but they&#8217;re different for every company so we have discussed what those are and see if they apply to yours.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Is SD WAN right for your company? Since entering the scene as a relatively unknown technology a few short years ago, SD WAN has become an IT solution popular with businesses across the globe. While there\u2019s plenty of great information out there about what SD WAN can do for your business because it\u2019s so young &#8230; <a title=\"How do you know if SD WAN will be right for your company?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/abodeinternet.com\/is-sd-wan-right-for-your-company\/\" aria-label=\"More on How do you know if SD WAN will be right for your company?\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/abodeinternet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8069"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/abodeinternet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/abodeinternet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abodeinternet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abodeinternet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8069"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/abodeinternet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8069\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/abodeinternet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8069"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abodeinternet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8069"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abodeinternet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8069"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}