SD-WAN has emerged as a powerful solution for optimizing network performance, but can it make the internet faster for an enterprise?
Does SD-WAN affect the Internet Speed?
SD-WAN doesn’t directly increase the internet speed in terms of raw bandwidth or latency. It can significantly improve the network’s performance and efficiency, which often translates to a faster internet experience for users, however, it’s important to note that SD-WAN is not a magic solution for slow internet. If the underlying internet connections are poor, SD-WAN can only do so much to improve the performance. Additionally, the effectiveness of SD-WAN depends significantly on proper design, configuration and management.How SD-WAN improves the application performance
1. Intelligent Traffic RoutingSD-WAN can use dynamic path selection to route traffic over the best available path in real-time. This means that data is sent through the most efficient route based on current network conditions, reducing latency and improving overall performance.
2. Bandwidth Aggregation One of the key features of SD-WAN is its ability to combine multiple internet connections into a single, more robust connection. This aggregation of bandwidth can lead to faster download and upload speeds, especially when handling large amounts of data. 3. Quality of Service (QoS) SD-WAN allows enterprises to prioritize critical applications and traffic. By deploying application-aware QoS policies, enterprises can ensure that important data, such as voice and video communications, receives preferential treatment. This results in better performance for these applications, which can feel like faster internet speeds for users. 4. Efficient Use of Available Bandwidth SD-WAN makes more efficient use of available bandwidth by load balancing across multiple connections. Using bandwidth more efficiently results in faster perceived speeds. 5. Reduced Latency By intelligently routing traffic and avoiding congested paths, SD-WAN can significantly reduce latency. Lower latency translates to quicker response times, which can make the internet feel faster, especially for real-time applications.