Exploring the Differences Between SD-WAN vs WAN

With businesses increasingly working from more geographically dispersed areas, wide area networks (WANs) are being relied on to ensure seamless communication, data transfer, and provide easy access to central applications across multiple sites.

However, as businesses become ever more data-reliant and require the uninterrupted flow of information over a diverse, multisite network, traditional WAN architectures are facing challenges to remain effective and efficient. Software-defined Wide Area Networks (SD-WAN) have transformed systems in recent years to create more intelligent and operationally effective networks. We’re going to take you through the main features of both traditional WAN and SD-WAN and explore how SD-WAN can improve your business.

So keep reading to learn more, or get in touch with the experts at Elite Group today for more personalised advice and product recommendations for your enterprise.

What Is a WAN?

A Wide Area Network (WAN) is a network that works across large geographical areas, connecting local area networks (LANs) and individual devices. Working like a road network for the internet, WANs enable data to travel over large distances, connecting different local networks (like offices in different cities). WANs create an environment for businesses to communicate and share resources across local branches, remote locations and data centres. These networks are now under increased pressure due to the rise of remote working, and the need to connect networks over a much wider footprint.

SD-WAN VS MPLS-WAN

What is Traditional WAN?

Traditional WANs have been the spine of network connectivity for several decades, relying on routers and leased lines to connect local branches to central systems and data centres, so employees can work effectively. Historically, because of their reliance on fixed hardware, WANs have been expensive to set up and inflexible when it comes to scalability, meaning businesses have struggled to adapt networks in line with growth. One of the main problems with traditional WANs is that, because they use fixed routes over leased lines to establish a connection between locations, they lack intelligent traffic optimisation.

MPLS-WAN

What Is SD-WAN?

SD-WAN leverages software-defined networking (SDN) and application-aware routing

to optimise wide area networks, enabling centralised management and dynamic controls over network infrastructure and traffic. SD-WAN, essentially, creates a smart traffic management system for network data that operates over multiple network connections, using algorithms to constantly monitor network traffic and automatically adjust the flow of data over different routes, based on real-time use. This allows businesses to prioritise critical applications and constantly optimise bandwidth usage to ensure networks operate as efficiently as possible at all times.

Unlike Traditional WANs, SD-WAN uses multiple network links, rather than single leased lines or routers. This includes broadband, MPLS and 4G/5G to connect Infrastructure as a Service platforms, branch offices, and data centres, creating a hybrid network that increases resiliency across the system. If one link fails, SD-WAN automatically reroutes traffic over a different path, ensuring connectivity isn’t interrupted. SD-WAN also provides a centralised management system, allowing network administrators to monitor network performance, make updates and alter configurations from one place.

SD-WAN (opens in new tab)

Key Features of SD-WAN Technology

The innovative features of SD-WAN enhance the performance, flexibility and security of a diverse network. Here, we look at the main features that can help businesses transform data management and network administration.

Intelligent Network Traffic Routing

Intelligent network traffic routing involves the real-time, dynamic analysis of network conditions to transfer data over the most efficient path. Think of it like managing traffic on the road. If one route becomes blocked, vehicles would be automatically rerouted down a different path that’s more open. With SD-WAN, if one route within the network slows down through the volume of traffic utilising it, the data will be rerouted through a path that has a lower capacity.

Intelligently managing data this way ensures critical applications have the bandwidth and low latency, while less important traffic is sent via an alternative route to free up space. For example, large data files being sent to clients (like proposals or demos) would be prioritised over internal messages.

Application Aware Network Policies

One major problem with Traditional WANs is that they limit centralised visibility compared to SD-WAN, which means high-value tasks could experience latency because they’re competing for capacity with low-value tasks. Application-aware network policies within SD-WAN remove these challenges by allowing the identification and classification of the different types of network traffic based on applications.

It enables organisations to prioritise critical applications (like VOIP calls, UCaaS platforms, or Software as a Service (SaaS) tools such as Salesforce or Microsoft 365) over less important traffic like web browsing. By sorting resources based on application requirements, it ensures improved network performance and a better user experience.

Dynamic Path Selection

Because Traditional WANs rely on a single connection between branches and a data centre (where the data passes through) there is little room for redundancy. So if the connection fails, the entire network can fail. SD-WANs utilise multiple connections, like 5G and broadband, simultaneously, and can automatically switch between connections based on which has the best conditions at the time.

For example, if the business’s broadband connection is experiencing high levels of use, data can be automatically routed through a 5G network (with essential tasks and applications prioritised for the fastest connection). This greatly improves network reliability by building resilience; it allows both internet connections and private links to be leveraged together to create a more reliable network.

Improved Network Security

With the rise of cyber threats, security is a major concern for any business. SD-WAN enhances security by using built-in intelligent firewalls, which proactively monitor network traffic and detect potential threats before they can cause harm.
SD-WAN also allows for secure access and encrypted connections between remote offices and data centres, making it ideal for businesses that need to protect sensitive data across multiple locations. The software’s ability to route traffic based on user roles and identities ensures that only authorised personnel can access specific network resources.

Advantages of SD-WAN Over Traditional WAN

Performance, Reliability and Cost

Traditional WANs can suffer from high latency and unreliable performance due to their reliance on single connections. SD-WAN delivers better performance due to its multi-connection setup.

SD-WAN offers significant cost savings compared with traditional WAN because it doesn’t rely on the same expensive hardware and static lines. Instead, it operates over broadband and mobile data connections, which greatly reduces costs.

Scalability and Flexibility

The ability to quickly scale networks over multiple locations (even different countries) has become far more important in the last three years. This has highlighted a major drawback of Traditional WANs, which are often complex and time-consuming to build and scale and usually require changes or updates to be configured manually. SD-WAN is software-based (rather than hardware-based), meaning it’s far quicker to scale and adapt to changing requirements, allowing administrators or network professionals to manage the network from a central location.

Security Features

Traditional WANs are heavily reliant on the security measures of individual locations to keep the network secure. Depending on the size and complexity of the business, this could mean managing hundreds or thousands of individual security systems, with no central oversight of every location’s security measures.

Software-defined WAN is operated and monitored from a single location, offering advanced threat protection and secure web gateways across locations. It can also integrate with Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) frameworks, ensuring that users and devices must be continuously authenticated and authorised before gaining access to resources. This central threat management enables more proactive security of a network, ensuring vulnerabilities are identified and resolved quickly.

Improved Network Visibility and Control

Network visibility is essential for effectively managing performance, but is something Traditional WANs lack. SD-WANs, by comparison, provide real-time, granular visibility over the entire network, including individual application usage, bandwidth consumption and network performance. This centralised visibility allows a more proactive diagnosis of issues and means network resources can be optimised in real-time to maintain performance.

Transforming Networks with SD-WAN

Traditional WAN infrastructure can be complex to manage because it requires oversight of multiple sites and multiple systems that, while connected, often operate in isolation. Instead, SD-WANs simplify management by centralising network controls into a single dashboard and user-friendly interface that can be configured and monitored centrally.

SD-WAN introduces a major shift in how wide area networking operates, offering a more agile, cost-effective and secure environment than that offered by traditional WANs. Embracing the advantages of SD-WAN means businesses and organisations can enhance network performance while more quickly scaling over multiple locations, without complicating management. With innovative features, such as intelligent traffic routing, dynamic path selection, application-aware network management and enhanced security and performance, SD-WAN has revolutionised how dispersed networks operate.

COMPARISON HUB

Optimise Your Connectivity with SD-WAN from Elite Group

If you’re ready to improve your connectivity, improve network speeds and streamline operations, SD-WAN is the solution for your business. You can rely on the expert guidance of our Elite Group IT specialists, who will work with you to identify your network requirements before exploring the best SD-WAN solution for the job. As a business, we are proud to hold a vast range of partnerships and accreditations with the biggest brands in the business and our team is highly certified with many years of combined industry experience. If you’re looking to optimise your business operations with an SD-WAN solution, trust the experts at Elite Group. Call us today on 0344 875 8880 or fill in our contact form and one of our specialists will be in touch soon.

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