With 5G and hybrid SD-WAN, enterprises can unlock better network performance and resiliency for stores, offices, and even vehicles
When we consider hybrid things in life, we might think of hybrid cars, hybrid work environments, or even hybrid animals (yes, ligers are real). Something they all have in common is they’re a combination of two things designed to create something new or enhanced. Similarly, a hybrid WAN solution blends different types of WAN connections to form an optimized networking infrastructure.
Another key combination? Software-Defined WAN (SD-WAN) and 5G. Together, they create a hybrid SD-WAN solution that facilitates better network performance and flexibility across hybrid WAN environments.
What is hybrid WAN, multi-WAN, and dual WAN?
In the world of Wireless WAN technology (WWAN), there are a lot of WANs to keep track of. Whether it’s hybrid WAN, multi-WAN, or dual WAN, it might seem tricky to differentiate between the terms, but they’re more alike than you might think.
Hybrid WAN
Hybrid WAN, also known as multi-WAN, typically involves using multiple types of connections, such as wired broadband, cellular, and even satellite, combined in a single network architecture. It allows organizations to achieve network redundancy, load balancing, and improved network performance by leveraging different types of connections for applications or locations.
Dual WAN
As the name suggests, a dual WAN router involve two WAN connections, often used for redundancy purposes. It’s a simpler form of multi-WAN where two connections (e.g., two internet links) are employed to ensure continuous connectivity in case one link fails.
But no matter the hybrid WAN environment, all benefit from SD-WAN technology, which is critical to providing increased resiliency and optimal application quality of experience (QoE).
Why is having hybrid SD-WAN flexibility important?
SD-WAN solutions provide the agility, flexibility, and control necessary to optimize WAN performance, ensure reliability, and simplify management across diverse WAN environments, making it an essential component of modern enterprise networking strategies. It does so by allowing network administrators to prioritize network traffic to match the needs of the business through WAN optimization, traffic handling, and intelligent link bonding. Key benefits of SD-WAN include:
Improved uptime
Not only does SD-WAN significantly improve uptime by allowing enterprises to easily load balance between multiple WAN links, but it also provides better resiliency in the event of a link failure by automatically rerouting traffic to alternate, operational paths, ensuring uninterrupted connectivity.
Better network performance
An SD-WAN router can steer different sources of traffic to specific WAN links based on priority, use case, and the cloud-managed policies put into place by the IT team for better network performance. It can also help businesses optimize connectivity to cloud-based applications.
Increased bandwidth
SD-WAN helps increase bandwidth by aggregating multiple WAN connections, selecting optimal paths, and intelligently steering traffic across available links. Through features like load balancing and WAN optimization, SD-WAN maximizes bandwidth and reduces congestion, enabling organizations to meet the growing demands of modern applications and users.
Why is adding 5G to SD-WAN necessary for enterprises?
As 5G continues its widespread adoption and enterprises rely less on wired connectivity, the need for flexible, resilient, and high-performing hybrid WAN and SD-WAN options will only intensify. Compared to traditional connectivity options, 5G provides much more scalability to allow enterprises to expand. It also adds another flexible type of connectivity to SD-WAN’s existing capabilities by enabling reliable WAN diversity with ultra-low latency and increased bandwidth.
But beyond general improvements in latency and capacity, one key capability unique to 5G stands out — 5G network slicing.
5G network slicing
Understanding the value of bringing 5G and SD-WAN together means understanding network slicing, which provides the ability to partition radio spectrum into different slices to improve network performance. Operating only on a 5G standalone network, each network “slice” has unique performance characteristics and is designed for a specific business purpose. For example, applications that process large amounts of data, such as point-of-sale systems, might be placed on a slice that allows for high data bandwidth.
Real-world 5G and SD-WAN use cases
Sites
Fixed sites need 100% availability to keep operations running smoothly. Integrating 5G and SD-WAN at locations using primary wired and cellular links for failover ensures continuous connectivity, with SD-WAN providing IT teams greater control over network traffic.
Apart from improving uptime, SD-WAN also allows businesses to scale with ease. SD-WAN’s ability to push centralized policies across an entire network means IT teams can easily establish new sites rather than having to configure each router at a branch, saving countless hours.
Vehicles
Public safety agencies require always-on connectivity for mission-critical applications, which is why many of them are upgrading from single to dual–modem routers in vehicles to increase network resiliency. In this scenario, SD-WAN helps ensure better resiliency and improved QoE for vehicles utilizing dual modem routers across multiple networks. Organizations can also add satellite connectivity, such as Starlink, as a third failover option in case the other two carrier links deteriorate. SD-WAN can then be used to independently steer traffic on a per-application basis to any of the defined links.
