Four SD-WAN misconceptions

When any technology or service is sold in large quantities, there may be some concerns or misunderstandings. In the case of SD-WAN, vendors may have over-hyped SD-WAN and deviated from its original purpose when promoting IT management capabilities.

[[235911]]

SD-WAN is often touted as the savior of WAN pricing. But, like every technology, SD-WAN's benefits require some sanity.

Myth 1: Internet connectivity is the panacea

The first misconception is that SD-WAN is an Internet-based technology and cannot use other types of WAN interfaces.

People expect SD-WAN frameworks to work with any type of network connection and have security and traffic prioritization. However, the reality of SD-WAN product development is not like this.

SD-WAN does offer cost savings, especially when compared to Layer 3 virtual private routing networks such as MPLS. To achieve cost savings, SD-WAN architecture uses low-cost connectivity in the form of Internet connections. But with the massive increase in “Internet is low cost” marketing, IT teams have come to believe that SD-WAN only supports Internet-based connections. But in fact, SD-WAN vendors or providers can customize their products to suit their needs.

However, the architecture of most current networks is based on different combinations of MPLS, virtual private LAN services, etc. This hybrid network architecture can help enterprises to properly combine their business needs with the design.

In addition to cost savings, SD-WAN benefits include granular security, quality of service (QoS) based on connection status, and management simplicity.

Myth 2: SD-WAN replaces MPLS

Initially, SD-WAN was considered an alternative technology to MPLS. While there is some truth to SD-WAN as an MPLS replacement, dedicated networks are still an integral part of hybrid architectures and software-defined networks.

The driving factors behind SD-WAN stem from mobility, access to the public cloud, and agility. However, private IP remains the popular technology when reliable end-to-end connectivity is required.

If an enterprise hosts a large number of applications in the cloud (AWS, Office 365, and Salesforce), using cloud-based SD-WAN will expand its competitive advantage. In contrast, if an enterprise has many critical tasks running on the WAN, these critical tasks have high real-time requirements, and MPLS can better meet the needs of the enterprise than SD-WAN.

Myth 3: One is better than the other

The SD-WAN framework's user-friendly setup and management model and a wide variety of connectivity options reflect its flexibility. However, it is a misconception that SD-WAN technology can solve application performance issues in all situations.

The internet offers a variety of connectivity options, including wireless 3G and 4G or fiber broadband, allowing any business to quickly establish a connection. However, if the cellular signal quality is degraded and the bandwidth is limited, applications may perform in unpredictable ways. While SD-WAN provides an effective and powerful feature set, it is unlikely that the technology will solve all problems.

Myth 4: SD-WAN replaces WAN optimization

SD-WAN and WAN optimization complement each other in terms of their feature sets. WAN optimization focuses on packet compression, data caching, and TCP optimization. SD-WAN services provide more direct traffic processing, with additional advantages in terms of bandwidth, loss, and latency. Although SD-WAN services are gradually developing in conjunction with WAN optimization technology, the two technologies are ultimately different.

IT teams need to evaluate SD-WAN technology

In summary, the hype surrounding SD-WAN has led to many misunderstandings and concerns. As with any new technology, the over-hyping of SD-WAN often distracts IT teams from researching network architecture.

Over the years, we have witnessed telecommunication services evolving to meet business needs. The changes brought about by SD-WAN services are perhaps the most significant due to the changes in the way we use connectivity. With the rise of SD-WAN technology, SD-WAN is bringing customers into a world with their own dedicated devices and cloud-based accessibility.

The development of SD-WAN is promising and is also a major trend in future network development. However, IT teams should consider SD-WAN from the perspective of technical product capabilities rather than its market response.