Best SD-WAN Solutions

SD-WAN Solutions Guide

SD-WAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Network) solutions are a type of technology that help businesses improve their network performance and reduce expenses. It is an innovative approach to traditional WANs that simplifies branch office connectivity, shortens rollout times, and provides increased bandwidth and improved performance. SD-WAN works by abstracting the underlying physical components of the WAN into a virtualized layer. This allows it to be remotely configured and managed via software instead of manually configuring hardware devices.

The primary benefit of SD-WAN solutions is that they provide an easier and faster way for organizations to deploy and manage their networks. With SD-WAN, businesses don’t need specialized equipment, complicated software, or expensive consultants; instead, they can use simple web-based interfaces to quickly set up remote networks. Additionally, since SD-WAN leverages multiple types of links (including broadband), businesses can more easily distribute traffic among different links with varying costs or speeds without manual intervention from IT staff.

SD-WAN also has other features designed to improve network performance for users in the field: optimized traffic routing and low latency ensure fast response times regardless of connection speed; built-in security services such as authentication, encryption and firewalls protect against threats; QoS (Quality of Service) improves high priority applications like VoIP or streaming video; application visibility enables better control over which data goes where; segmentation divides business networks into logical partitions for greater security; and zero touch provisioning automates device installation so that IT staff don't need to be involved every time a new connection is made.

Another benefit of an SD-WAN solution is its scalability: organizations can expand their networks rapidly according to their needs with the click of a button—no additional hardware is necessary. Furthermore, since each component within an SD-WAN has been tested extensively before it's released onto the market, businesses can be assured that their network will remain reliable as it grows over time.  Additionally, some vendors offer cloud management platforms for centralized control across all sites in an enterprise network—allowing administrators to monitor network performance throughout multiple locations from one central point without needing to physically visit each site individually.

Overall, SD-WAN solutions are a great option for organizations looking for simplified operations with easy setup processes at reduced costs compared to traditional WANS while still ensuring reliable connections with improved performance—especially when dealing with remote employees or numerous sites spread out geographically around the world.

SD-WAN Solutions Features

• Zero-touch Provisioning: This feature allows for the deployment of branch locations or remote sites without manual configuration. It eliminates potential errors, improves network performance and reduces operational expenses.
• Multi-path Optimization: This feature enables dynamic path selection to optimize application performance. It can monitor traffic, detect latency, jitter and packet loss, providing real-time route optimization for improved quality of service (QoS).
• Real-time Monitoring & Reporting: SD-WAN solutions provide comprehensive visibility into an organization's wide area network (WAN), including capacity utilization, application performance and failover conditions. This helps networks teams prioritize resources, ensuring optimal network performance.
• Security On Demand: SD WAN also offers advanced security features such as Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption and authentication protocols like domain name server protocol (DNS). These help secure an organization’s data when transmitted across different networks.
• Unified Network Management: With this feature, administrators can manage both hardware and software components from a single console with ease. This simplifies the process of configuring and managing applications on multiple sites with minimal effort.
• Application Quality Control & Prioritization: SD-WAN allows organizations to establish policies that govern how each application receives bandwidth or priority depending on its importance in real-time. This ensures that mission-critical applications are always available while still allowing other services to operate efficiently.
• Cost Savings: By leveraging multiple transport options, including the Internet, MPLS and LTE, SD-WAN technology reduces the costs associated with expensive wide area network services. This can result in significant cost savings for organizations.

Different Types of SD-WAN Solutions

• Broadband-enabled SD-WAN: This type of solution uses consumer-grade broadband internet connections to create an SD-WAN network. It can be used for branch offices or remote workers that don't need a dedicated connection.
• Private Line/MPLS-based SD-WAN: This type of solution uses private circuit connections, such as MPLS circuits, to create an SD-WAN network. This is ideal for businesses that need more reliable and secure connections with higher levels of performance.
• Hybrid WAN: A hybrid WAN is a combination of both broadband and private line/MPLS circuits that are blended together to form an optimized WAN network. The purpose is to take advantage of the best qualities of both types of connections while minimizing their respective weaknesses.
• 4G/5G Wireless SD-WAN: Mobile networks such as 4G LTE and 5G NR can also be leveraged to provide an always-available and highly resilient WAN connection for businesses with on-the-go employees or remote locations with limited high-speed options.
• Cloud Connected SD-WAN: Cloud Connected SD-WAN leverages direct cloud access technologies like Direct Connect from AWS or ExpressRoute from Azure, allowing organizations to take full advantage of the public cloud’s scalability and cost savings advantages over traditional WAN services.
• Internet Peering Connected SD-WAN: Internet peering connected solutions leverage the power of public peering exchanges such as the New York International Exchange (NYIIX), which allows companies to establish direct connections between each other using IP address—without having to use expensive carrier services like MPLS or IPSec VPNs.

Advantages of Using SD-WAN Solutions

1. Increased Network Uptime: SD-WAN solutions offer greater network uptime and availability by providing robust, self-healing capabilities that detect and reroute traffic around network security issues or outages. This ensures business continuity and less downtime for applications and services.
2. Improved Performance: SD-WAN solutions provide optimized routing for applications and data traffic across the WAN, eliminating slowdowns caused by congestion or inefficient routing paths. This helps ensure fast, reliable performance of applications and services in remote locations.
3. More Efficient Use of Connectivity Resources: With SD-WAN solutions, organizations can dynamically provision additional links on an as needed basis to address specific needs in a given location or region. Organizations also benefit from flexible bandwidth allocations that enable them to scale up or down their resources depending on current service requirements.
4. Lower TCO (Total Cost of Ownership): By using centralized management tools to configure, monitor, and maintain the WAN infrastructure, the need for manual intervention is greatly reduced. This allows organizations to save costs on maintenance activities, while still being able to make changes quickly if needed. Additionally, SD-WAN solutions allow organizations to take advantage of cost savings associated with cloud computing resources such as SaaS applications and public clouds like AWS or Azure.
5. Security Enhancements: SD-WANs provide robust security protection for data traveling over the WAN links by encrypting all traffic between secure locations in order to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks. Additionally, most SD-WAN solutions include threat detection capabilities that can detect malicious network activity in real time before it reaches its destination point and cause harm.

Who Uses SD-WAN Solutions?

• Enterprise Users: Organizations that need reliable, secure, and cost-effective connectivity between multiple locations.
• Branch Offices: Companies with multiple branches that need to stay connected for the sharing of data and applications.
• Mobile Workers: Professionals who need access to data and networks while on-the-go.
• Remote Workforces: Employees who work remotely either from home or other offsite locations.
• Education Institutions: Schools and universities that require a reliable network connection across multiple campuses, or even student homes.
• Healthcare Providers: Hospitals, clinics, and healthcare facilities requiring seamless connectivity between their sites in order to provide quality patient care.
• Home & Small Businesses: Individuals or small businesses needing secure remote access to their networks while traveling or working offsite.
• Cloud Solution Providers: Companies offering cloud-based solutions such as Software as a Service (SaaS) to customers around the world.
• Retailers & Ecommerce Merchants: Companies looking for an effective way to connect all of their store locations securely in order to share information quickly and efficiently.
• Multi-national Corporations: Large scale organizations with operations spanning multiple countries and continents. They require a secure, reliable network connection across all their sites for maximum efficiency and cost savings.

How Much Do SD-WAN Solutions Cost?

The cost of SD-WAN solutions will vary depending on a number of factors, such as the size and complexity of your network, the features and services included in the solution, and the service provider you choose. Generally speaking, SD-WAN solutions are offered by subscription on a monthly basis, and can range from a few hundred dollars per month for smaller organizations up to several thousand dollars for larger systems with more customization.

When choosing an SD-WAN solution, it’s important to consider both the initial investment costs as well as longer term financial benefits. Benefits include improved performance and reliability due to faster response times as well as reduced operational costs due to automated processes that simplify IT infrastructure management. Additionally, many vendors offer flexible pricing models which allow organizations to pay according to usage or capacity versus having to pay upfront fixed costs. This flexibility helps organizations ensure the right balance between cost savings and performance optimization.

Overall, when considering an SD-WAN solution, it is important to understand exactly what your organization needs before committing to any particular vendor or pricing model. By taking this approach you can ensure that you select an option that offers an optimal balance between cost efficiency and quality of service.

What Software Can Integrate with SD-WAN Solutions?

SD-WAN solutions can integrate with several types of software to provide a comprehensive networking solution. This includes software related to network monitoring, performance optimization, security and access control, virtual machine deployment and more. Network monitoring software tracks issues down to the device level and provides end-to-end visibility across the SD-WAN infrastructure, allowing for greater control over performance. Performance optimization software helps manage traffic flows through the SD-WAN by controlling Quality of Service (QoS), allowing administrators to prioritize certain types of traffic over others. Security and access control software helps ensure that only authorized users gain access to the network while keeping malicious activities out. Deployment of virtual machines can also be incorporated into an SD-WAN solution in order to create isolated environments on the network without having to invest in physical hardware. Lastly, Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) routing technology allows for improved management of voice, video and other time sensitive applications across multiple locations or networks. All these types of software are crucial components that help enhance the capabilities of an SD-WAN system.

What are the Trends Relating to SD-WAN Solutions?

1. SD-WAN solutions allow organizations to access cloud resources, applications, and services from any location regardless of the underlying infrastructure. This increases the flexibility of businesses and allows them to operate with fewer constraints.
2. SD-WAN solutions reduce costs by reducing the need for expensive hardware and IT staff. In addition, SD-WAN solutions can be implemented quickly and easily, eliminating downtime associated with hardware installation and maintenance.
3. SD-WAN solutions are designed to prioritize traffic according to user-defined policies. This ensures that critical applications and services are delivered quickly and reliably while less important traffic is managed accordingly.
4. SD-WAN solutions offer robust security features such as encrypted tunnels, authentication protocols, and firewalls that protect a company’s data from malicious actors.
5. SD-WAN solutions provide detailed reporting and monitoring capabilities that allow organizations to gain insight into their network performance. This helps them identify potential issues before they become serious problems.

How to Select the Right SD-WAN Solution

Selecting the right SD-WAN solution for your organization can be a challenging process. Here are a few tips to help you make the best decision:

1. Understand Your Network Requirements: The first step is to have a clear understanding of your network requirements and how they will affect your SD-WAN deployment. What type of applications and services do you need to support? How secure do these applications and services need to be? Answering these questions can help you determine which features are essential for your SD-WAN solution.
2. Research Vendors: Once you understand your network requirements, it’s time to start researching vendors that offer an SD-WAN solution that meets those needs. Consider factors such as pricing, reliability, scalability, customer service options and any other criteria that is important to your organization when evaluating potential vendors.
3. Consider Your Hardware Options: Many companies offer both hardware-based and software-based solutions for their SD-WAN deployments. Before selecting a vendor or product, consider which type of solution would work best for your organization given its size, budget, technical skillset and other variables.
4. Compare Features & Cost: When narrowing down your list of potential vendors, compare each company’s feature set along with estimated cost of implementation before making a final selection. Make sure the features offered align closely with what is required by your organization; otherwise you run the risk of having additional costs or complications down the line when attempting to integrate new features later on.
5. Test It Out: Once you've made a final selection on an SD-WAN vendor or product, take some time to conduct trial runs or tests in order to ensure that the chosen solution meets all of your expectations prior to committing long term resources towards deploying it in production environments within the company's infrastructure.

By following the tips above, you’ll be able to more confidently select the right SD-WAN solutions for your organization.

Utilize the tools given on this page to examine SD-WAN solutions in terms of price, features, integrations, user reviews, and more.