Reliable, always-on network communications are a vital business feature for companies that need to stay connected. IT provider Network Platforms provides unique connectivity solutions to secure network communications against failure.
One of these is the company’s new free automatic switch-over to ADSL if the vital network artery of a dedicated or leased line is severed.
Says Network Platforms MD Bradley Love: “What sets this solution apart from other ‘failover’ products is the ability to carry the same IP address over to the ADSL line. This enables numerous advantages for onsite hosted applications and it can also be used on wireless platforms such as 3G, WiMax and iBurst.”
This means line failures will no longer disrupt vital network communications and attendant workflows. In addition, if a line fails and the failover is activated, Network Platforms will also log the call for the client’s line fault to be repaired.
VPN solution
Comments Love: “The problem facing many virtual private networks (VPNs) running on broadband services is the restriction on upload speeds and the lack of static IP addresses. For example, a 4MB ADSL line only has an upload speed of 512Kbps, which can restrict data transfer over a VPN.
“To overcome this limitation, Network Platforms will terminate a large-bore leased line with no Internet breakout at our data centre, which enables us to switch data over alternative lines when necessary. This topology is unique because you will no longer have a bottleneck on your ADSL connections and in addition, you will have a bigger upload speed.”
Network Platforms offer various VPN topologies to suit bandwidth needs and budgetary constraints. For example, VPN load balancing can reduce costs by channelling traffic through alternative routes, so reducing bandwidth overheads on a specific line.
Only prioritised traffic is directed over the leased line circuit – in other words, important traffic such as voice (VOIP) or other enterprise data can be channelled via the leased line while less vital traffic such as Web requests and e-mail can be directed over additional ADSL lines. These ADSL lines can be configured with VPN auto failover to provide backup if the dedicated line goes down.
ADSL static IP
Additional benefits include static IP addresses on ADSL-over-fibre with no restriction on speeds. While some ISPs offer fixed IP addresses on ADSL connections but limit the connection speed to 1Mbps even on higher speed lines, Network Platforms do not throttle the bandwidth, enabling speeds consistent with the client’s line specification.
Organisational security can also be maintained with Network Platforms’ managed firewall solution – this is managed remotely and also covers unforeseen calamities such as lightning damage.
