In today's digitally connected world, a reliable internet connection isn't just a convenience – it's the lifeblood of businesses everywhere from a small local shop to the nation's largest multi nationals. Everything from processing payments and communicating with customers to accessing crucial cloud-based tools, being offline for even a short period can lead to lost revenue, frustrated clients, and a dent in your hard-earned reputation. This is where the often-overlooked superhero of business continuity steps in: redundant internet connectivity.
Think of a redundant internet connection as having a backup plan for your online access. Instead of relying on a single internet service provider (ISP), you have a secondary connection ready to take over if your primary one falters. This simple yet powerful strategy can make all the difference between a minor inconvenience and a full-blown business disruption.
Why Does Redundancy Matter for Your Business?
Let's face it, internet outages happen. They can be caused by anything from scheduled maintenance and hardware failures to unexpected weather events and cable damage. For a small business operating on tight margins, the consequences of such downtime can be significant:
- Lost Revenue: If you can't process transactions, access your online store, or communicate with customers, money stops flowing.
- Damaged Reputation: Unreliable service leads to unhappy customers who may take their business elsewhere.
- Reduced Productivity: Employees unable to access essential online tools and data become unproductive, impacting project timelines and overall efficiency.
- Missed Opportunities: Delays in communication can mean missing out on crucial deals or timely responses to inquiries.
- Operational Disruptions: Many essential business functions, from email and cloud storage to VoIP phone systems, rely heavily on a stable internet connection.
A redundant internet setup mitigates these risks, ensuring business continuity and peace of mind. It allows you to maintain essential operations, keep serving your customers, and minimize the financial and reputational impact of an internet outage.
Real-World Resilience: Examples in Action
Let's look at how redundant internet connections have helped some of our customers navigate connectivity challenges:
Example 1: Seamless Failover with Mobile Backup
This customer's experience sparked the idea for this blog post. The customer in question uses iiNet for their primary internet connection and Vodafone 4G mobile broadband as a backup. During a recent unexpected network outage, their business didn't grind to a halt. By the time we had received a "site outage" notification their internet connection had seamless switched over to their Vodafone backup. They and their team continued to process orders, respond to customer inquiries, and manage their online store without missing a beat. Their customers were none the wiser, and their revenue stream remained uninterrupted. From the customer's perspective, the only indication that something was wrong was the changed user experience when their fast NBN100 connection transitioned over to the slower 4G backup.
(above) This is a screenshot of the uptime report for this customer. The blue line is their primary NBN connection and the purple line their 4G backup. You can see the moment the NBN dropped out and 4G carried on.
Example 2: Multi-Site Stability with 5G Backup
Another customer of ours manages a small business with a main office and two remote sites. All three locations rely on Superloop for their primary internet connections. Recognising the potential impact of an outage at the central hub, they invested in a Telstra 5G backup connection for the main office. Fortunately this customer has remained outage free, but thanks to the 5G backup, should the main office lose its NBN connection they'll quickly fail over to the Telstra network. With a redundant internet connection, staff at the customer's main office can continue their work if the primary internet connection experiences an outage. Crucially, the site-to-site Virtual Private Network (VPN) connections to the remote offices will also re-establish over the backup connection, allowing seamless collaboration and access to shared resources across all locations. This ensures that the entire business remains operational if the primary internet fails at the main office.
(above) All three of the customer's sites and four internet connections. The Telstra 5G connection is ready to take over if the main internet connection fails.
Exploring Your Redundancy Options
The best redundancy solution for your small business will depend on your specific needs, budget, and the internet options available in your area. Some common approaches include:
- Dual Wired Connections: Utilizing two different wired ISPs (e.g., NBN and a different provider). This offers robust reliability but may involve higher costs.
- Wired and Wireless Backup: Combining a primary wired connection (like FTTP or HFC) with a wireless option like 4G or 5G mobile broadband. This provides a good balance of reliability and cost-effectiveness.
- Satellite Internet: A more expensive option, but can be valuable for businesses in remote areas with limited wired or mobile options.
Investing in Your Resilience
While there might be an upfront cost associated with setting up a redundant internet connection, the potential savings from avoiding downtime far outweigh the expense. Think of it as an insurance policy for your online operations.
Don't wait for the inevitable outage to realise the importance of a backup plan. By proactively implementing a redundant internet strategy, your small business can weather any connectivity storm, ensuring you stay online, stay productive, and stay ahead of the competition. It's not just about having internet access; it's about having reliable and uninterrupted internet access – a requirement for success in today's digital landscape.
If your business needs reliable Internet, you can always reach out to AFSecure for help.