How Broadband Bonding is Mushrooming

Bandwidth hungry companies now have a mouth watering new approach to increasing their WAN capacity. It's a TRUFFLE from Mushroom Networks, Inc.

Just what makes this TRUFFLE appetizing? it has the capability of aggregating the bandwidth of multiple broadband connections to make one bigger, more reliable pipe. That seems to sound a lot like T1 line bonding. What's different is that this device can bond just about anything you've got. Gather up your DSL, Cable, T1 and satellite lines. Plug up to 6 of them into the TRUFFLE BBNA6401 and it combines their bandwidth to give you download speeds up to 50 Mbps.

The Mushroom Networks approach is to create bonding at the network layer using IP-based protocols. Traditional pair bonding approaches require all lines to be the same type and from the same provider. You order the amount of bandwidth you want and the carrier takes care of bonding enough T1 lines to give it to you. The implementation is pretty much transparent to the user because the carrier provides the CPE (Customer Premises Equipment) to bond the lines and deliver a single network interface to the user.

In contrast, the TRUFFLE is a piece of hardware that you buy and manage. You don't need to coordinate with your network service providers. This device simply connects to multiple broadband modems and manages the bandwidth pool. It has the smarts to divvy up a download request into pieces and request only a portion of the total file size from each broadband connection. It gathers the responses and reassembles the file before passing it on to your network.

Mushroom Networks suggests various scenarios that would benefit from aggregating the bandwidth of similar or diverse broadband connections. The obvious way is to combine multiple T1 or DSL lines to create a larger composite line speed. This could improve service reliability if the connections are from different providers with wires in different binder pairs or a combination of terrestrial and satellite services. Another suggestion is to add a DSL line to augment an integrated T1 telephone and Internet connection. When the T1 line is busy with many phone conversations, the DSL line can improve Internet performance to the computer users on the network.

Mushroom Networks' TRUFFLE is a clever solution to the ever-increasing need for higher and higher levels of business grade bandwidth by small to medium size companies. You may have more options that you think, with the recent Metro Ethernet and lower prices on T1 and DS3 connections. Check bandwidth options for your business location now.

If you also need support for your business telephone system, local area network or IT hardware and software, the VAR Network gives you a way to connect with qualified value added resellers in your area.

Telephone Installers Business Networking

If you make your living selling or installing business telephone systems, there's a business networking service you should be aware of. It can help you garner more warm leads for your products and services, and expand your line card with no additional investment.

What I'm speaking of is the VAR Partner Network, an online service of Telarus, Inc. Telarus is a master agency representing over a dozen competitive voice and data carriers. But it's much more than that. Through its VAR Network Telarus actively seeks businesses who need not only communications line services, but equipment sales and installation work as well.

VARs, or Value Added Resellers, are independent business owners. The VARs who will be interested in this network are those who sell, install or service business telephone systems, point of sales equipment, company LANs, network optimization and security appliances, and related technology. The reason Telarus is recruiting VARs in this field is that many customers who buy line services also desire one stop shopping for their related telephone and network equipment.

Rather than take a pass on this business and risk customers going elsewhere, The VAR Network gathers the prospect's requirements and enters them into an online database. That database actively processes the leads and directs them by email to appropriate VARs who have the necessary expertise and area located physically close to the client. One or more VARs may be alerted to the business opportunity. It's up to the VAR to contact the prospect and close the sale, if desired.

OK. That's how you, as a VAR, get free equipment leads. But how do you expand your line card at no expense? Simple. Remember that most customers for business phone systems not only need a PBX or IP PBX, but they also need phone lines to plug into it. Those T1 PRI digital telephone lines are part of the core business that Telarus seeks. Businesses installing phone equipment are perfect prospects for related line services. So are corporations expanding their network operations. How would you like a piece of that action?

You can easily collect a percentage of every T1, DS3, or Ethernet line that your customers install, for the duration of their service contract. The way you do that is to take a few minutes and input your customer's requirements into your VAR Network online back office. Your consulting partner at Telarus will use that information to get competitive price quotes from appropriate carriers. If your customer elects to go with one of the deals, Telarus will take care of preparing all the paperwork and making sure the line services get turned up as soon as possible. You get a cut of the commissions for... what... ten minutes of data entry?

Pretty sweet deal, isn't it. Actually everyone benefits. Your customers get access to lower cost services than they would typically know about. And they'll probably thank YOU for getting them the deal. You'll probably find that this expansion of your business is actually more lucrative than the equipment leads from the network. That's because you can go out and offer line services to your existing customers as well as any new ones. It's a way of generating additional business income from current accounts with minimal effort.

Would you like to get in on this action right now? You can. There's no cost or obligation to join. Once you're in the system you'll start getting leads and you can approach clients with your new line of bandwidth and telephony services. Take a few minutes to look at the VAR Partner Network and sign-up easily online.