Is dual access to the SOHO/ROBO still necessary?

Wide Area Networking This newsletter is sponsored by NTT Communications Distribute Content Fast & Efficient Distributing rich media to your customers with unparalleled efficiency is critical in today's networked environment. Unpredictable traffic or unbalanced server loads cause frustration and increase network expenses. NTT Communications Smart Content Delivery solves these problems. Improve your customers rich media experience and receive a free month of service of SCD. Network World's Wide Area Networking Newsletter, 07/05/07 Is dual access to the SOHO/ROBO still necessary? By Steve Taylor and Jim Metzler Over the past several years, we’ve often advocated using (at least) two forms of broadband access to the remote office/branch office(ROBO) and small office/home office (SOHO) environments. The reasons have been at least twofold. First, DSL, cable modem, and some services have been offered so inexpensively that the price point is negligible – compared with traditional access methods – so there’s no reason not to have both. But more importantly, these services have not tended to offer fantastic up-time, so having both services available would make it possible – and even easy – to switch to a backup service if one of the two services failed. Throughput was never a major issue because routers that could use both services with dual access have been few and far between. Now, especially with DSL and cable services offering speeds up to 3Mbps and even 6Mbps, it seems to be time to re-evaluate this recommendation. Steve realized this a few days ago when it occurred to him that his DSL service had not suffered a noticeable outage in more than six months. (Of course, it probably will have failed by the time this article comes out simply because of making this statement.) So the question is why should one continue to pay for both services? Is the backup worth the price? There are two reasons we see for maintaining dual access. The first is for simple physical access redundancy: if physical access is interrupted - a condition historically known as “backhoe fade” - having two access links with diverse physical routing is great. VoIP: Lessons from Early Adopters Experts say VoIP isnt a magic wand that will solve all of an organizations communications challenges right out of the box. Learn why VoIP may not produce expected savings and productivity gains, and other lessons from early adopters. Click Here to Watch The second reason is perhaps more important, though: troubleshooting and protection from possibly infected computers. Whenever a new or otherwise unknown computer is added to the SOHO, it’s pretty risky to add that unproven computer to the network. So it may well be worth having the second link simply as a secondary method for connecting to the Internet and for diagnostic purposes until the new system is proven. However, we will add one modification to our prior recommendation. Rather than having both services at their traditional speeds of about 1.5Mbps, consider going as fast as possible with a primary service and then cut back the speed on the backup service to a “lite” service for about $20 per month. Let us know what you’re thinking about dual access these days, and we’ll share the results!   What do you think? Post a comment on this newsletter

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Contact the author: Steve Taylor is president of Distributed Networking Associates and publisher/editor-in-chief of Webtorials. For more detailed information on most of the topics discussed in this newsletter, connect to Webtorials, the premier site for Web-based educational presentations, white papers, and market research. Taylor can be reached at taylor@webtorials.com Jim Metzler is the Vice President of Ashton, Metzler & Associates, a consulting organization that focuses on leveraging technology for business success. Jim assists vendors to refine product strategies, service providers to deploy technologies and services, and enterprises evolve their network infrastructure. He can be reached via e-mail. This newsletter is sponsored by NTT Communications Distribute Content Fast & Efficient Distributing rich media to your customers with unparalleled efficiency is critical in today's networked environment. Unpredictable traffic or unbalanced server loads cause frustration and increase network expenses. NTT Communications Smart Content Delivery solves these problems. Improve your customers rich media experience and receive a free month of service of SCD. ARCHIVE Archive of the Wide Area Networking Newsletter. BONUS FEATURE IT PRODUCT RESEARCH AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Get detailed information on thousands of products, conduct side-by-side comparisons and read product test and review results with Network World’s IT Buyer’s Guides. Find the best solution faster than ever with over 100 distinct categories across the security, storage, management, wireless, infrastructure and convergence markets. Click here for details. PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered to your inbox each day. Extend your knowledge with a print subscription to the Network World newsweekly, Apply here today. International subscribers, click here. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World newsletter, change your e-mail address or contact us, click here. This message was sent to: networking.world@gmail.com. Please use this address when modifying your subscription. Advertising information: Write to Associate Publisher Online Susan Cardoza Network World, Inc., 118 Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772 Copyright Network World, Inc., 2007