Performance, Reliability, and Security: SD-WAN + 5G
With SMOAD SD-WAN and 5G, you can have it all!
The mobile data service takes a new leap with 5G, with speed being a concern. The new buzzword is 5G in the internet space, thanks to the recent launch early this month. The recent introduction of 5G offers faster data services equal to wired WAN. In the near future, 5G radio deployments can push the bandwidth over 1GB with low latency.
Does SD-WAN fit in 5G networks?
When SD-WAN is combined with 5G services, branch offices stand to gain enhanced reliability, high-speed bandwidth, and rapid provisioning. Large enterprises can benefit from SD-WAN and 5G services, providing faster connectivity. The new technology can replace wired services with wireless services facilitating LTE at remote locations. For instance, chains of hotels, retail stores, telemedicine, etc., can benefit immensely from SD-WAN in 5G networks during downtime or slow connection in the wired circuits.
The benefits of using SD-WAN in 5G networks
SD-WAN is the preferred technology to channel traffic across WAN links. The internet link security and performance are enhanced significantly to increase the bandwidth of the WAN at an affordable price. SD-WAN offers complete visibility from LAN, WAN, cloud, and devices. 5G gives the advantage of adding SD-WAN-driven architecture. The 5G links protect from cable cuts and outages as it is simple and offers link diversity.
The cableless option is an excellent alternative to MPLS, Integrated Service Digital Networks, DSL, and broadband. Without cables, 5G is easier to manage, deploy and buy. SD-WAN comes with multiple links for redundancy, traffic segmentation, and balancing. 5G is seen as WAN transport, but did you know that it can offer out-of-band management potentiality, where network resources can be accessed through external means?
The advantages include the following:
- Simple link provisioning
- QoS and link redundancy
- Diversified connectivity options for remote locations
- Network slicing offers superior application performance
- Enhanced visibility, security, and traffic management
- Supports edge computing
- Functionality of branch sites is increased
- Affordable costing
SD-WAN in 5G networks for IoT devices
The IDC study reveals that there were over 15 million IoT devices in 2021; Edge Computing will serve the inflow of IoT devices. As connectivity increases, there will be a rise in data to be processed in real-time and at the edge level. For processing high-volume data, speed is the key, which you can find in 5G. Despite the higher bandwidth, 5G users experience range limitations. Thousands of tiny cells power 5G networks, and the higher the network of cells, the more challenging it gets to manage, maintain and operate the cells. It is here that the problem of optimization arises, compromising automation. So, what is the solution?
SD-WAN is the enabler. Edge computing is an integral part of 5G operations. SD-WAN facilitates automation and optimizes traffic, enabling 5G cell management. The advantage of using SD-WAN over traditional WAN architecture is that it supports applications on private and public clouds, on-premises data centres, and SaaS services like Dropbox, Microsoft 365, and Workday. It helps to connect users to applications securely.
With more and more enterprises moving to the cloud and subscribing to SaaS, traditional WAN is rendered useless. SD-WAN supports intelligent routing and identifies applications with suitable QoS and security policies. SD-WAN can route high bandwidth traffic via edge and 5G cells. When enterprises are using new applications, there is a need for security policy change, and SD-WAN drives this to reduce human error and, at the same time, maintain speed. Here, 5G is used to reroute traffic during these upgrades.
How to evaluate SD-WAN vendors for high-quality 5G user experience?
- Intelligent routing is crucial to prioritize traffic based on bandwidth. Low bandwidth traffic can be routed through broadband or LTE, and high bandwidth traffic can be moved to 5G.
- SD-WAN networks must adapt to the change in real-time to offer optimized routing to 5G and Edges.
- Cybersecurity is a primary issue; direct the traffic towards the proper security protocols and enable security policies from a centralized hub to save on cost and improve performance.
5G network works on network slicing, and every slice has unique resources. Combining SD-WAN and 5G networks can direct traffic to a specific piece based on the need. The success of the 5G network lies in satisfying security and automation, and SD-WAN is the ideal choice.
SMOAD Network devices use proprietary technology to aggregate several internet connections’ bandwidth and route the network traffic intelligently. The various connections can be 3G, 4G, or even 5G.
SMOAD can run multiple Virtual Machines at the edge level already. This gives SMOAD an advantage in performing various functions on the device itself. Also, the technology used for aggregation of wireless/wired connections is generation agnostic.
In other words, yes! SMOAD is 5G enabled!