Edge WAN

Improving access with edge WAN solutions

Edge-wide area networking solutions, or edge WAN solutions, enable connectivity to the corporate network from locations at the edge of an organization’s network.  As IT environments have grown more distributed and workforces more mobile, edge WAN technologies have become essential for keeping users connected to the IT resources and cloud applications they need to streamline workflows.

In the past, edge WAN deployments involved dedicated hardware like routers, security appliances, and other edge networking solutions.  However, with the rise of software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN), edge WAN technology may route traffic and provide security via software solutions.  While SD-WAN offers many management and performance benefits over traditional WAN deployments, it can also introduce a great deal of complexity for IT teams already struggling with constrained budgets, skill shortages, and competing priorities.

Spectrum Enterprise can help.  It offers fully managed solutions for optimizing edge WAN and other networking infrastructure.  It helps IT teams manage demanding network and security requirements while streamlining operations and alleviating network administration burdens.

The challenges of edge WAN networking

Deploying and managing edge WAN technology may present IT teams with several obstacles.

Managing complex networking demands

Today’s IT teams are tasked with deploying and managing highly complex IT networks.  In a hybrid IT architecture, IT teams must seamlessly integrate public cloud environments, manage bidirectional connectivity to on-premise appliances and run distributed application components at the edge.  WAN technology can aid these efforts, but the management burden can be significant.

Achieving high performance

When routing edge WAN traffic over the Internet, ensuring high performance for bandwidth-intensive applications can be challenging.  Choosing the right underlay provider is essential, as providers are not all equal when it comes to minimizing latency.  Additionally, implementing application-aware routing is necessary to ensure that all business-critical applications receive the priority they need.

Securing the network

Network edge security can be a challenge with edge WAN environments due to the distributed nature of the network and the multitude of personal devices that workers use to connect to it. The ability to visualize the network and monitor traffic is key.  IT teams also need access to advanced protections and – depending on the internal team's skills – assistance in deploying, managing, and updating them.

Manage edge WAN with Spectrum Enterprise

Enterprise Network Edge from Spectrum Enterprise provides IT teams with a fully managed solution for managing edge WAN and other networking requirements.  Delivered over the industry-leading Fortinet platform, Enterprise Network Edge helps teams to secure, scale and operate edge WAN deployments with greater simplicity while improving performance.  This modular, all-in-one solution helps to create a secure network for all locations.  It is ideal for organizations with unique requirements, with demanding applications or that need to migrate away from a legacy WAN at their own pace.

With Enterprise Network Edge solutions, your IT teams have all the tools to simplify and secure WAN infrastructure.

• Scalable performance.  Adopt an edge WAN or SD-WAN solution with low latency, intelligent routing for critical applications, and the ability to scale to thousands of locations.
• Strong edge security.  Protect WAN deployments with firewalls and unified threat management (UTM) with provider-managed, integrated security from the edge the cloud.
• Management options.  Choose a fully managed or co-managed solution, managing whatever aspects of the network you choose and leaving the rest to Spectrum Enterprise experts.
• Support for the remote workforce.  Enable remote workers to securely connect to the resources they need, with support for up to 50,000 people.
• Greater control.  From a single portal, gain visibility into configuration, routing, performance, firewall settings, and other network components across locations.
• Minimal expense.  Create a secure, cost-effective edge WAN solution with no infrastructure to purchase and no hardware to maintain.
• Connectivity choices.  Select from multiple connectivity options, including fiber, broadband, Ethernet, and cellular.

Spectrum Enterprise Managed Network Edge

While Enterprise Network Edge is designed for large-scale organizations focused on transitioning to a hybrid network architecture built around advanced SD- WAN technologies, Spectrum Enterprise Managed Network Edge offers a fully managed solution for organizations seeking to simplify network management.  Delivered with the Cisco Meraki platform, Managed Network Edge combines connectivity, equipment, and network management to deliver greater security, flexibility, and scalability.

Managed Network Edge provides solutions and technology for:

• Security and routing.  Ensure firewalls are up to date while improving performance through application-aware routing.
• Switching.  Prioritize traffic on the datalink and network layers with cloud-managed, enterprise-grade switching.
• Remote access.  Provide mobile workers with simple, secure access to the network from any device, at any time and from any location.
• Virtual edge.  Offer seamless access to cloud-based, business-critical applications through secure connectivity to cloud service providers.
• Telecommunications.  Give at-home workers the same network performance, security, and data prioritization as workers in the office.
• WiFi.  Connect employees and visitors to next-generation WiFi with greater speed, reliability, and performance.
• Smart cameras.  Gain insight into customer behavior while protecting locations.
• Environmental sensors.  Monitor and automatically create alerts around environmental events such as changes in temperature, air quality, humidity and water leaks.

Why choose Spectrum Enterprise?

Spectrum Enterprise offers scalable, cloud, and edge fiber solutions for America’s largest businesses.  Our wholly-owned fiber network – the foundation for everything we offer – spans 245,000+ fiber-route miles and connects 271,500+ fiber-lit buildings.  Our solutions include:

• Internet and networking solutions, including support for hybrid networks, remote connectivity, cloud-based network security, and more.
• Managed network services and managed local area networks that enable organizations to extend their IT teams with help from our experts.
• Voice and unified communications offerings that empower teams to collaborate and connect from anywhere.
• TV solutions that enhance customer satisfaction and build brand loyalty by offering HDTV technologies that entertain, inform, and engage viewers with popular channels, features, and programming.

FAQs

What is the edge?

The edge is the part of a computer network where end-users and endpoints such as laptops, tablets, Internet of Things devices, virtual machines, and servers connect to the Internet.  By moving compute resources like processing and storage to the edge, organizations can increase performance and reduce latency by keeping data closer to the users, devices, and applications that need it.

What is WAN?

A wide area network, or WAN, is a computing network that extends beyond a single building or location space to include multiple sites across a larger geographic area or around the world.  The Internet is considered the world’s largest WAN.

What is edge WAN?

Edge WAN solutions are the technologies that allow users, devices, and applications at the network’s edge to connect to an organization’s WAN.  Edge WAN solutions may encompass technology for network performance, security, connectivity, and management.