In the digital era, businesses are dependent on high-speed internet connections for different kinds of reasons, including:
- Communicating with clients and customers
- Collaborating between employees and vendors
- Accessing cloud-based systems and services like banking and payroll
- Supporting digital telephony systems
The obvious downside of so many services being dependent on a single internet connection is overloading. With so many apps sharing the connection, internet dependent data and essential services can sometimes be affected.
If this happens the impact is felt immediately - a loss of business continuity affects employees and customers, with the potential loss of thousands of dollars per minute in lost business.
Secondary internet connection: The answer to internet uncertainties
A secondary internet connection allows businesses to keep critical business services running by dedicating certain applications or bandwidth usage to one connection, while deprioritized uses can be on another. Businesses can also mitigate risks by directing non-business critical internet traffic on a segregated connection. Additionally, it has the following benefits.
Stronger WiFi connection
In a large office space, a single WiFi connection may not be strong enough to reach every corner. Some sections may have high-speed WiFi connectivity, while the other parts will be noticeably slower. This reduces productivity and work continuity. A secondary connection in another part of the office means a secondary WiFi and results in even coverage throughout the office.
An extra layer of security
Businesses with multiple endpoints on a network may require a secondary internet connection to ensure an extra layer of security. By using two internet connections, you can segment your traffic. Businesses can run applications with sensitive and confidential information on one connection and less sensitive information, such as publicly shared WiFi, on the other. This can reduce the risk from malware and other cyber-attacks.
Guest WiFi
A secondary internet connection is an effective way to offer visitors or customers complimentary WiFi in your office. This type of solution is often found in cafes. Guest devices on the primary connection has the potential to overload the line. A secondary internet connection serves guests with uninterrupted WiFi service while ensuring connectivity across the rest of the office.
While a secondary internet connection does incur an extra cost, it needs to be weighed against the costs incurred during an outage. In the long term, ensuring business continuity is worth the investment.
