Performance and Peace of Mind

Services running "in the Cloud" such as email, CRM/ERP and telephony (VoIP) are becoming the core of many business operations. As a result, IP networks have become the life line that needs to run smoothly and reliably. Below are the three main best practices we recommend when implementing VoIP and other IP based services.

1. Ensure IP Network Redundancy. Use a Dual WAN Router.

Why put all your "Eggs in One Basket"?  Run your business on a State of the Art Dual WAN Load Balancing Router enjoying twice the speed everyday and never be down!

Past experiences on Internet failing and bringing down email, CRM, ERP or other cloud based services cause companies to hesitate moving to a VoIP solution. Some companies would delay the decision to save money and move to VoIP as both approaches, hosted PBX or SIP trunking, rely 100% on Internet connectivity.

In addition to WAN failover, the Dual WAN router must support true load balancing. That way additional bandwidth from secondary WAN is aggregated and not just sitting idle.  The router must be sophisticated enough to recognize and remember sessions and perform Session Load balancing. Stateless Packet load balancing would break VoIP, HTTPS and other protocols.

2. QoS and Packet Prioritization is Not Enough. Make Sure your Router Can Do Bandwidth Management.

There are different approaches to QoS. Class of service or Diffserv are many times called QoS. Bandwidth Management can also be confused with QoS. Bandwidth Management is what we need when dealing with VoIP.

Most networking devices claim to support QoS, even layer 2 switches. For some manufacturers QoS means setting a flag in all packets. Others would also classify and apply prioritization rules before forwarding the packets. QoS is no help when upstream modems or routers start dropping packets when the link is flooded.

In any case, only routers that support true Bandwidth Management can limit the bandwidth used by non-time sensitive applications and dynamically allocate enough to VoIP traffic. The router must be capable to slow down bandwidth hogs and connections that are less important.

Even better, what if the router could also help manage the content going in and out your network? Content Management capability in the router is a great advantage. That way, undesired traffic, the users can be generating, does not even start. Only expensive high-end networking appliances supported these features until now. This year ABP introduced Draytek, a value alternative that beats the features of high-priced routers while offering more innovative features and with NO PER USER LICENCES.


3. Separate VoIP from Data LAN for Performance and Security - Use a Router that Supports Multiple VLANs and LAN Subnets

Computers can get viruses and Trojans. Many times users install software that can impact the network, such as P2P or streaming applications. Many things can go wrong in the data network as the applications that run over it change frequently. A dedicated Voice VLAN subnet keeps the Voice network stable and voice quality high regardless of congestion generated by applications such as IP Surveillance, email, video streaming or other data transmissions.

An elevated number of broadcasts in the Ethernet network or hacking attempts can be isolated from Voice LAN with the use of VLANs. Most managed switches support VLANs but makes sense only if the router does too. The router should be able to handle multiple VLANs and IP ranges including multi-subnet DHCP server and layer 3 routing between subnets.

Draytek 2920 supports up to 4 independent LANs separated by physical ports or through VLANs. That means you can eliminate equipment and have a secure solution with a much simpler setup and maintenance. Draytek can be configured so routing between LAN subnets can be transparent or firewalled.

Call ABP to try this unique router. Ask for special NFR pricing for first unit per company. Call 972-831-1600 or email sales@abptech.com for a quote.