Networks of connected devices create critical connectivity for enterprise operations, innovation and communications. We now depend heavily upon these networks for commerce, remote insights, Internet access, and — increasingly — automation, edge computing and remote device management. For this reason, commercial, transportation and industrial operations are looking for ways to cost-effectively ensure the reliability of data throughput. In this article, we explore the benefits of using WAN aggregation to address these challenges.
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What Is WAN Aggregation and How Does It Work?
Wide Area Network (WAN) aggregation improves network performance, reliability and redundancy by combining multiple internet connections into a single, virtual connection. Using WAN aggregation, organizations can get the most out of their different Internet service providers (ISPs) through higher bandwidth and lower latency.
Here’s how it works. A specialized network router called a bonding router joins together two or more internet connections. Joining these connections together combines their bandwidths to effectively create one super-fast connection. Organizations tap into WAN aggregation for applications that require faster Internet speeds.
Popular applications include:
- Large file transfer — Multimedia editors who share large video and other large files can speed up transfer time using WAN aggregation
- Livestreaming and gaming — A police officer relies on mission-critical livestreaming from a cruiser during an incident
- Virtual conferencing — Executives who conduct important virtual presentations depend on fast, reliable internet connections
What Does a Bonding Router Do?
A bonding router is another term for a WAN aggregation router. It’s a specialized network device that combines multiple Internet connections into a single, reliable and faster connection.
Learn More About the Power of WAN Bonding
What Are the Benefits of WAN Aggregation
WAN aggregation improves connectivity in several distinct and important ways:
- Increased bandwidth — Combining multiple WAN links, the overall available bandwidth increases, supporting data-intensive applications such as video uploads and livestreaming without upgrading hardware
- Improved reliability — Aggregating multiple connections can improve reliability and reduce downtime. When one or more of the aggregated connections fail, the other connections can take on the load.
- Load balancing and efficiency — WAN aggregation reduces bottlenecks by intelligently perfecting the load across available resources and seamlessly scaling by adding links
- Cost effective — By using existing ethernet connections bundled together, organizations can improve network performance and avoid investing in added hardware and cabling
- Improved application performance — Does WAN aggregation increase speed? Applications that require high bandwidth or low latency, such as video conferencing, cloud services, and large file transfers can receive help from the enhanced performance and stability provided by WAN aggregation.
- Improved security — By distributing traffic across multiple connections and employing load balancing, attackers will find it more difficult to disrupt communications
Who Uses WAN Aggregation?
Enterprises, manufacturing and other businesses rely on WAN aggregation to maximize bandwidth usage and support mission-critical and large file transfers.
- Manufacturers — WAN aggregation helps manufacturers keep productivity and revenue by reducing network outages
- Business and large enterprises — Large enterprises rely on WAN aggregation to support important, high-bandwidth applications from video conferencing to livestreaming
- Transportation — Trains and buses depend on WAN aggregation for security cameras, streaming media to displays and providing onboard Wi-Fi for passengers
What Is Dual WAN Aggregation
Dual WAN aggregation refers to the idea that two separate internet connections are controlled simultaneously and separately by a single router. Dual WAN aggregation is useful for seamlessly switching to a different connection when the other one fails, improving network availability.
Dual WAN vs WAN Aggregation
With a dual WAN aggregation router, the separate internet connections do not combine to form one, larger bandwidth connection as they do in WAN Aggregation. Both can improve network performance and reliability. However, there are significant differences.
With WAN aggregation, when one connection fails, others can take over. But because WAN bonding duplicates data sent across each connection, it can more than double data transmission, so reserve it for critical applications. Dual WAN can't combine bandwidth from each connection, so you can’t get any more speed than gets provided by each individual connection.
How to Set Up WAN Aggregation
Setting up WAN aggregation — also known as "WAN bonding" — is easy when you have an integrated solution. So, the first step in setting up WAN aggregation is to work with a trusted provider such as Digi to identify the right router solutions with WAN bonding capabilities, such as a Digi TX cellular router. Digi TX routers can integrate WAN aggregation into your network via Digi Remote Manager® — which is included with all Digi routers under Digi 360 — via the Digi WAN Bonding value added service.
When it’s time to design your network topology and optimize your WAN aggregation, Digi Professional Services can help you every step of the way. We’ll help you identify the number of WAN connections you need, where to place your server and even identify and configure traffic routing between connections.
Next, you’ll need to set up your WAN aggregation router software. Start by specifying your WAN connections and configuring your routing and performance settings. Then, when you’ve configured everything, it’s time to set up failover protection.
Finally, don’t forget about maintenance. Name an administrator to regularly check your WAN aggregation solution. Routine maintenance ensures that your system continues to function. Create a plan for troubleshooting any issues so you can resolve problems before they affect operations.
If you get stuck along the way, Digi Professional Service teams can step in and aid your team.
Take the Next Step
As connectivity demands evolve, large enterprises need to scale bandwidth capacity quickly to ensure continued operation of mission-critical applications.
WAN aggregation is a strategic approach to enhancing network performance, reliability, and scalability by combining multiple internet connections. But it takes the right equipment, set up and maintenance plan to benefit from the important efficiencies and cost savings WAN aggregation can provide. That’s where Digi can help.
Explore Digi Solutions
Digi WAN aggregation solutions supply resilient connectivity and maximum performance across multiple connections. We make it easy to deploy. Best of all, we collaborate with Bondix Intelligence to provide WAN aggregation software that ensures reliable data transmission connectivity for both mobile and stationary deployments. Digi WAN aggregation takes advantage of Digi Remote Manager to streamline the set-up, deployment and management of your multiple WAN connections. Partner with Digi to enable WAN aggregation installation and performance.
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