Technology > WAN Technologies

When applications do not perform as end users would like, the blame usually land on the network. So what do you do? Ask your WAN (Wide Area Network) Service Providers and they'll tell you "pay for more bandwidth". That is good for them and bad for you. Throwing more bandwidth at a problem may not resolve it. So now you're paying more money and you still have a problem. Now what?

In addition to bandwidth, several other items affect network performance and perception

• latency - the further data needs to travel between two points, the longer it will take. Latency may also be introduced when there are multiple "hops" or when data is compressed.
• packet size - packets are what carry the data. Packet size may be determined by the applications, the network protocols, and the network equipment.
• Computers and applications - a user or group of users may have computers that are inadequate, or the application may not work well in the manner it is being used. Some applications are written to work in an office. When the same application is being run at multiple sites, it may perform poorly.
• Reliability - if the network is constantly failing, it may not matter how well it performs.
• Cost - end users may not care as much about this as administrators do.

Innovative Thinking can help you design a network that will satisfy end users, while managing costs. We'll assess your current network, analyzing cost, latency, utilization, reliability, and problem areas. We'll work with you and your provider to determine the type of transport technologies to use (ATM, Frame Relay, MPLS, etc.) and help you negotiate a fair contract. We can then help you design and implement a solution. Innovative Thinking can help you implement QoS, addressing schemes, compression, etc. We can even help you with monitoring and maintaining your WAN. Don't throw money away - use Innovative Solution for better results!