In a previous post, we discussed the benefits of an Ethernet Private Line (EPL) for businesses with two locations. So what fiber ethernet solution is best for businesses with three or more locations?
Let’s consider a scenario using fictional yet widely-known paper company Dunder Mifflin as an example. Dunder Mifflin, according to creators of The Office, is a company with several branch locations and one corporate headquarters office. Let’s say Dunder Mifflin’s CEO has decided to introduce fiber ethernet infrastructure and is working with IFN to explore the best option to connect all Dunder Mifflin locations on a single network. Obviously, an EPL is not an option, so let’s consider IFN’s other customizable fiber transport offerings for this scenario.
E-Tree: Point-to-Multipoint Connectivity
Dunder Mifflin’s central headquarters and multiple branches make the company an excellent candidate for IFN’s Ethernet Private Tree or E-Tree offering. E-Tree is a point-to-multipoint service. Each connected location is known as a “Root” or “Leaf.” In Dunder Mifflin’s case, the corporate office would stand alone as a “Root” site, while the branch locations would serve as “Leaf” sites. A Root site within the service can communicate to other Root and all Leaf sites. However, a Leaf site can communicate only with Root sites, meaning that Dunder Mifflin branch locations would only be able to communicate directly with Corporate, rather than the other branches. We know Scranton branch manager Michael Scott has enough trouble staying focused as it is, so removing the temptation to access the other branch’s files may be in Dunder Mifflin’s best interest. IFN E‐Tree services support a maximum of 20 locations, including a single Root site.
E-LAN: Any-to-Any Connectivity
If Dunder Mifflin desired to interconnect all branch locations so each site appears to be on the same Local Area Network (LAN) and has equal access to resources like servers and storage, IFN’s E-LAN service is a compelling option. E-LAN enables any-to-any communication between up to 20 customer locations. E-LAN provides a multipoint-to-multipoint Ethernet Wide Area Network (WAN) that extends a Local Area Network (LAN) to a Metro or Wide Area Network. This allows for the seamless transmission of mission-critical applications and data across the entire network. E-LAN quickly and securely moves large amounts of data between sites. As Dunder Mifflin scales to compete on a national level, the inter-branch collaboration E-LAN offers could be beneficial. However, Dwight’s relentless attempts to steal other branch’s clients should be noted as a potential drawback.
Regardless of the fiber network option Dunder Mifflin chooses, IFN offers speeds ranging from 10Mbps to 10Gbps and 99.999% network uptime, which means less than five and a half minutes of downtime each year. Combined with access to IFN’s 24/7/365 Network Operations
Center, Dunder Mifflin would, no doubt, get the best service at a competitive price (if it were a real company, that is).
With our highly customizable offerings, IFN is ready to help you discover the best fiber solution for your multilocation organization. Give us a call today at (317) 280-4636 to get started