Wednesday, December 23, 2009

The LAN WAN Connection Made Easy

The local area network has a standardization and continuity that makes sense. We know what Ethernet is. We know what an RJ-45 connection looks like. Nearly every piece of equipment has the ubiquitous 10/100/1000 Mbps network interface. It’s all so predictable until you try to leave the building. Then you’re up against a whole new set of telephone company standards that you don’t deal with in-plant. Is there any way to make the LAN and WAN worlds come together sensibly?

Not so long ago, you had no choice but to educate yourself in the unfamiliar and perhaps confusing technology invented and institutionalized by AT&T and the telco equipment manufacturers. It’s not a trivial task for network engineers and managers who spend their days talking packets and TCP/IP. You need to make a mental shift to DS channels, T-carriers, SONET multiplexing, channel banks, TDM synchronization, channel service units and data service units. Just figuring out how to efficiently match disparate networks could take some doing.

That was then, this is now. If you have the expertise and enjoy interconnecting dissimilar networks, you can do that and simply order the WAN connections that you need. But if you don’t have that level of expertise or just want to avoid straightening out the incompatibilities, you have more options available now.

One approach is to go with a managed network provider who takes care of the WAN link and the interface to your network. You plug into a managed router provided by the carrier and located on your premises. The routers at both ends and the network connections between them are monitored and controlled by the carrier. You don’t have to worry about what color alarm is going off or if the equipment is properly set to the line specs if you make any changes to your service. You simply plug in to the WAN port and use the service.

Managed router services are available for dedicated broadband Internet service, point to point data connections, MPLS networks for interconnecting multiple business locations, and ISDN PRI to provide telephone lines to in-house PBX phone systems.

Another service that offers ease of connection and use is Metro Ethernet. You can get mid-band Ethernet delivered on multiple twisted pair copper in many larger cities. Your connection is a managed router that has the special interface required to transport the signal. Ethernet is also available through fiber optic connections

One advantage of Ethernet services is that they tend to be less expensive, in some cases much less expensive, than other telecommunications services. Which type of bandwidth is right for your company? Find out with a quick business bandwidth price and availability check now.

Click to check pricing and features or get support from a Telarus product specialist.




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