Wide Area Network (WAN)

Overlay network for remote networks & locations: uses various WAN connections, controls traffic automatically, cloud connection possible.

Advantages:

• Fast provision
• High reliability
• Cost reduction
• More available bandwidth, scalability & flexibility

Features:

• Analytics (portal line via Internet/MPLS/5G)
• Application-aware routing (trigger: jitter/latency/packet loss)
• Simple cloud connection
• Zero-touch deployment, active/active bundling of multiple lines
• Integration with L3/4 or L7 firewall

Advantages:

• Cost reduction
• Reliability
• Scalability
• more bandwidth
• Fast provision

Exclusive partnership with China Telecom: <200 ms latency, <1 % packet loss, no VPN shutdowns, own encryption without key storage; delivery time ~2-3 weeks.

Variants:

• via Internet, via MPLS, hybrid
• Cloud gateways
• Cloud-Centric WAN (Vcae)
• Remote SaaS
• SaaS acceleration

Hybrid scenarios:

• SD-WAN-Box(CAE) instead of CPE
• Orchestrator with policy-based routing & load balancing between MPLS/IP-Sec
• Existing MPLS remains for critical workloads, non-critical traffic via the Internet
• Active/Active increases bandwidth & availability

Private IP VPN with end-to-end SLAs, fully managed by the network operator; QoS management. Prices have fallen due to SD-WAN competition – often attractive depending on requirements (also with central Internet breakout).

Advantages:

• Reduce costs
• High security
• Scalability
• Performance enhancement
• High availability
• Flexibility

Additional features:

• Class of Service (CoS): several service classes with bandwidth protection, flexible capacity utilization.
• Application-aware network: visualizes applications, prioritizes critical packets, accelerates company apps, reduces network costs.
• Central Internet access / dedicated firewall: outsourced management, high bandwidths cost-effectively.