Most small businesses today have trouble justifying the cost Internet connections like fiber or Metro Ethernet. These services are great, and a generally more reliable than cable or DSL. However, nothing is 100% guaranteed, and for that we would like to discuss options for backup Internet connections.

Businesses should expect to pay around $90-$160 monthly for “business class” DSL or cable service. T1 lines have come down in price over the years but still cost around $350-$600 monthly. We don’t suggest shelling out the cash for a higher cost connection. By doing so, you are effectively putting all your eggs in one basket. We recommend spliting your budget and purchasing two connections.

Taking this approach saves money and also adds redudancy. DSL lines can go down due to cable cuts, mis-configurations, or other technical reasons. The same is ture for cable connections. However, DSL and cable connections do not share the same wiring that runs into office buildings. This is why having two connections from different providers is a better way to go. In the event one connection goes down, firewalls and routers can be configured to switch over the a secondary Internet connection.

Wirless connections may also be option. We don not recommend celluar (GPRS or Edge) “air cards” from provider such as AT&T or Verizon. There are some routers and firewalls that support these cards for backups, but we do not recommend them for running an entire office. There are other providers we have worked with in Orlando that provide a true braodband wireless solution. We have worked extensively with some of these connections and they actually do work just as well as wired connections.

If you need help choosing a backup Internet connection or just want to know what your options are contact us today.