What Does SD-WAN Mean?

SD-WAN is an acronym for software-defined networking in a wide area network (WAN). The idea is to enable software in the router to compensate for the limitations of an inexpensive circuit.

Technically, the functions attributed to SD-WAN have always been delivered by high end routers. Routers have been able to manage traffic patterns and implement backup routing.

What is new to the modern iteration of SD-WAN is the incorporation of functions performed by other appliances into the single SD-WAN router. Another significant improvement in the implementation of SD-WAN today is that all locations can be managed with one interface.

How is SD-WAN Delivered?

Industry analysts reports that there are more than 40 active SD-WAN vendors trying to carve out a niche for themselves. All 40 vendors are employing one of three basic methods to deliver the SD-WAN service.

  • Hardware at the customer premises connected to their internet service that performs VPN and Security operations plus traffic optimization.
  • Hardware at the customer premises connected to their internet service that connects the customer to the nearest "on ramp" for the vendor's private WAN.
  • Hardware at the customer premises connected to their internet service that connects the customer premises to the Cloud where his operations are hosted.

Thanks to DIAD's robust network infrastructure, we can deliver any of the outlined forms of SD-WAN or a combination of methods to accommodate your needs.

Highlights
  • We offer a brief explanation of what SD-WAN has come to mean
  • We offer a brief explanation of the methods used to implement SD-WAN
  • We offer a brief explanation of limitations of SD-WAN
  • We have developed a device/router that converts quality broadband circuits into private network circuits
  • Our device/router transports all protocols over the broadband circuit
  • Our device/router transports jumbo frames over the broadband circuit
  • We can provide an entire private network over broadband or combine MPLS with broadband for both public and private performance
  • If you would like a quote for any of these products, please access the quote tool Quote Tool

SD-WAN Limitations

For SD-WAN to be effective, two circuits are required. The router constantly measures the health of each circuit to determine which circuit to use.

Our Gurus have proven that two inferior circuits can never perform as well as one superior circuit even with the aid of the best SD-WAN router.

Another limitation is that an internet circuit, with an MTU of 1500 MBPS, cannot handle traffic which requires Jumbo Frames. For some cloud applications, jumbo frames are needed. The standard work around to enable Jumbo frames to traverse the Cloud, is not merely to use two circuits but to require that one of the two circuits be a private circuit capable of passing Jumbo Frames.

Our SD-WAN Offering

Our gurus have implemented an innovative method for providing private and secure circuits over our select broadband vendors. You can either provide your own broadband using one of our approved vendors or have us provide you with the Broadband Circuit. We guarantee that all forms of traffic - all frame sizes and all protocols will be transmitted and received.

We recommend, when feasible, combining private and public circuits, also known as a hybrid SD-WAN topology. Deploying a hybrid network means provisioning both a private circuit and a broadband circuit at each location. When employing DIAD's technology, each circuit can backup its companion circuit with full functionality.

Click to see one of our diagrams that was actually employed in the design of a client's network

Our Secret - PTOI

We have designed and manufactured our own appliance that has multiple functions. This device makes your broadband circuit work consistently and smoothly exactly as a a private circuit would. It eliminates the need for the constant tweaking required when deploying VPN technology to achieve privacy.

We call this technology PTOI - Private Transport Over the Internet.