Get More From Your Internet Connection

Before joining Insight Information Technology, I worked a number of years with a Vancouver BC Internet Service Provider. Skyway West was the ISP I worked with, marketing a number of business class Internet Services. My time at Skyway gave me a great deal of experience understanding the Internet and Wide Area Networking.

Over the years I've talked to a number of business owners and their IT Managers, who were struggling with Voice over IP, Virtual Private Networks and other applications that take advantage of high-speed Internet connections. Poor phone call quality or dropped Terminal Server sessions were some of the problems that would often stop small businesses from taking advantage of these important business applications.

Many businesses connect to the Internet using Broadband services like ADSL and Cable, because they offer very fast Downstream speeds, at an affordable price. And although the Upstream speeds are slower, they have improved a great deal over the last few years. But most Broadband services are Half Duplex, which can be a problem for many applications.

A Lesson in Half Duplex

Let's take ADSL as an example. In BC and Alberta businesses can take advantage of either a maximum 3.0 Mbps Downstream service or (depending where you are located) 6.0 Mbps. Both of these options come with a maximum Upstream speed of 1.0 Mbps. Now most people assume they get both a 3 or 6 Mbps Downstream AND a 1 Mbps Upstream connection. WRONG! ADSL and Cable are Half Duplex, meaning that if users are surfing the web and using up (say) 2.5 Mbps, the Upstream available is only 500K at best. And this is the problem for important applications like VoIP, VPN's and Terminal Server.

For many the fix is to throw more Bandwidth at the problem, by upgrading the service or replacing their Broadband connection with more expensive services like a T1 or Fibre.

A T1 tutorial

A T1 is generally 1.5 Mbps, and unlike Broadband the speeds are Guaranteed, instead of a “best effort”. And T1's are Full Duplex, meaning you enjoy BOTH a 1.5 Downstream and a 1.5 Mbps Upstream. However compared to Broadband pricing, a T1 will be a hit to your operating budget. Depending where you are, a T1 can be anywhere from $600 to $1,000 per month. And for users that are have enjoyed a 3.0 or 6.0 Mbps service, a T1 can appear much slower.

What about Fibre?

In terms of performance, Fibre is a great solution. But, unless your business is in downtown Vancouver, a Fibre connection will be very expensive. Prices for Fibre can be anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000 per month, which is a big jump from most Broadband services.

However, if your business is on a budget, I suggest there is a better way.

2 Heads are Better Than One

Another solution is to separate regular web surfing traffic from your VoIP or inbound traffic from Remote Users. In other works, use 2 Broadband services and “Aggregate” the traffic. For example a good Managed ADSL for your VoIP traffic, and a separate Cable service for your email and Web Surfing.

• 2 Separate Internet Connections
• 2 Separate Technologies
• 2 Separate ISP's

If your VoIP or Terminal Server traffic is not competing with normal Web Surfing, the full Upstream connection is available. Add a Dual Wan Router, and you also get an automatic fail-over if one connection becomes unavailable.

So, how much?

In the Vancouver Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley, a good Managed ADSL service starts at $69 per month, and a business Shaw Cable service also starts at $69. So for under $140 per month, your business can take advantage of a Fast, Very Reliable Internet connection.

If you are adding VoIP, connecting remote users to your business process or just looking for a more reliable Internet service, contact us anytime. Insight Information Technology provides Computer Network Support and Repair for business customers throughout the Vancouver Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley. As well, we provide CIO services to our customers.

Chris Miles

604-484-4218 Direct

cmiles@insightIT.ca