Something we are seeing more often is ADSL line failures. Either the circuit is completely dead or the line speed is significantly reduced. In some cases the ADSL speeds are slower than what you would achieve with an old modem connection. This becomes a challenge to any business as we are so reliant on having Internet access. From sending and receiving emails to online banking, the Internet has become a critical part of our business.
To mitigate the risk, businesses need a failover solution. While many exist, our experience is to use a wireless solution. Since the failover will only be utilized in emergencies, you need to look for a solution with the lowest monthly rates. Neotel have a WiMAX option but costs can be expensive for smaller businesses. Satellite VSAT solutions are also a great option as they mitigate the risk of an undersea cable failure as we experienced last year with the Seacom cable fault which lasted some six days. Unfortunately satellite solutions are expensive (+-R1000.00 / month excluding hardware costs) By far the simplest and cheapest solution we have found is to install a 3G router. These routers look the same as your ADSL router but have an added USB port at the back to accommodate a 3G USB dongle.
The router constantly checks the status of your ADSL line and if it goes down, it automatically switches you over to the 3G circuit. Depending on the area you’re in will depend on the service provider you can use (Vodacom, MTN, CellC or 8ta) in order to get the best connectivity and speeds. The router is reasonably priced and can use most 3G dongles available in S. Africa.
