Bulletproof Your Internet Operations
How can I protect my business (if a truck takes out my internet)?
In the telecommunications industry we hear the word redundant a lot, typically in the context of internet connections servicing the same business location.
\"Are they redundant?\"
\"If one goes down can we be sure the other won\'t?\"
Why Does Redundancy Matter?
We live in a world in which businesses rely on internet, period. Hence the reason why these questions carry so much weight, we simply cannot tolerate downtime. Regardless of the industry in which we work, if we are going to run our business we need to be able to access our cloud-based applications. And don\'t forget about the proliferation of mobile devices, our local area networks need to be able to support those as well.
Is redundancy a reality?
So, what\'s the answer to those questions above? In general, internet connections are considered redundant if they are provided by two different ISPs and are different types of connections. For example, if we pair a Comcast cable circuit with a Verizon FiOS circuit we feel like we\'ve got decent redundancy in place. Could someone drive a truck into the pole on which both connections enter the building? Sure, anything is possible.
What if a truck hits the pole?
In our experience it\'s rare. But, if you want something truly (physically) redundant, try cellular. It\'s a lower cost and super effective option if your premise gets good signal strength.
Click to see if your location is in a Verizon wireless 4G/LTE area.
Do I want to pay for 2 internet connections?
How do I know if it\'s worth having two connections in place for my business? Let\'s say you are a quick service restaurant and you are running your business on cable internet alone. One day during lunch rush your internet goes down and you can\'t take credit cards for three hours. If the average customer spends $10 on lunch and you lose 75 customers, that\'s a loss of $750. If that happened only twice in one year (it could happen more often), your total loss would be $1,500 plus the cost of your single internet connection. Now, if you had a cellular connection in place, and your total internet spend was $100 per month, for a total of $1,200 per year, you\'ve incurred less overall cost and most likely zero downtime.
Do I want to manage 2 internet connections?
Speaking of redundancy, if managing multiple connections at all of your locations seems a bit daunting, maybe you should consider a partner. There are Managed Service Providers (MSPs), like s2s, who specialize in providing and managing internet for business. When making the decision to work with a MSP, the most important things to consider is do they know what they are doing and do you get help when you need it. Whenever possible, opt for an initial \"try before you buy\" period (several month pilot) before signing a contract. We believe in pilots, always offer them. AND we have humans manning our phones at all times. See if it\'s true, call 856-780-3739 and let us now if not!