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kvnpark
join:2007-08-07
North York, ON

kvnpark

Member

Best Options for Small Business Internet

What ISP options do I have if the business:

1. is located in GTA.
2. needs 4 VOIP lines (with room to expand) running on it constantly.
3. downloads/uploads many small files throughout the day.
4. requires virtually no downtime, and if there is a downtime, ISP must be able to fix it ASAP.

Advices and recommendations are appreciated.

Thanks.

Guspaz
Guspaz
MVM
join:2001-11-05
Montreal, QC

Guspaz

MVM

Due to #4, you'd be looking at fibre, $1000-1200 per month. I don't think you're going to get that sort of commitment from anybody selling DSL or cable, because they don't have any control over when it gets fixed.

The rest of your requirements can easily be met by any DSL or cable wholesaler, since your requirements are minimal (4 simultaneous VoIP calls require 384 Kbps of upstream, if I'm not mistaken)
MaynardKrebs
We did it. We heaved Steve. Yipee.
Premium Member
join:2009-06-17

1 edit

MaynardKrebs to kvnpark

Premium Member

to kvnpark
Maybe a dual-WAN router with both a xDSL and a simultaneous cable connection will work for you. You'd have to learn how to properly manage it and to deal with any outages.

Some dual-WAN routers
»www.cisco.com/en/US/prod ··· dex.html
»www.dlink.com/ca/en/busi ··· s-router
»www.peplink.com/balance/
»trendnet.com/products/pr ··· 4&cat=11
»luxul.com/xbr-2300
»www.tp-link.com/en/produ ··· L-ER6020
»www.netgear.com/business ··· 36g.aspx
»www.pcmag.com/article2/0 ··· 5,00.asp

Guspaz
Guspaz
MVM
join:2001-11-05
Montreal, QC

1 edit

Guspaz to kvnpark

MVM

to kvnpark
Also make sure that your DSL and Cable provider are not the same ISP. While it would be convenient to use one ISP for both DSL and cable, it's not full independent because a core network issue could affect both. I would also suggest not using ISPs that have their network cores in the same building.

For example, if you were in Montreal, I might suggest DSL from TekSavvy (network core at 151 Front in Toronto) and cable from Electronic Box (network core at cologix in Montreal). At that point they would be completely independent.

In Ontario, though, I'm not sure who has a completely different network core.

The reason that I suggest this is because there have been past instances where an incident at 151 Front has caused outages to ALL companies hosted in the building, so even though (for example) Caneris and TekSavvy have completely independent networks, they both host in the same building, and so that time Peer1 had their UPS explode and the fire department blockaded the building, everybody had problems.
kvnpark
join:2007-08-07
North York, ON

kvnpark

Member

Thanks for your recommendations guys.

Dual-WAN sounds like the way to go.
We already have Bell's 16/1 for 3 more years. Rogers is offering 10/2 for $60 (3 yr).

Cisco RV042 or RV042G seem to be the cheapest. Are they easy to set up and use?
MaynardKrebs
We did it. We heaved Steve. Yipee.
Premium Member
join:2009-06-17

MaynardKrebs

Premium Member

Read reviews about all of them. Also look on the vendor sites to see if there are community forums (I know Netgear has a community forum). You may find warts in what otherwise looks like a decent product. You may want to order your device from a vendor who will take it back no-questions-asked.
kvnpark
join:2007-08-07
North York, ON

kvnpark

Member

Thank you.

Do all dual WAN routers require static IPs from both ISPs in order to combine the two connections?