In recent years, SD-WAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Networking) has emerged as a powerful alternative to traditional MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) networks. While MPLS has been the go-to technology for enterprise WANs for decades, the rise of cloud computing, remote work, and demand for flexible, cost-effective solutions has made SD-WAN a more attractive choice for many businesses. This article will explore the key differences between MPLS and SD-WAN by comparing these technologies across critical areas such as affordability, security, contract flexibility, and more.
1. Affordability
MPLS circuits have long been known for their high cost, which can be a major limitation, especially for small and medium-sized businesses. These costs stem from the need to lease dedicated lines from service providers, with pricing often based on bandwidth and geographic scope.
In contrast, SD-WAN is far more cost-effective. SD-WAN allows organizations to use commodity broadband connections (like fiber, DSL, or LTE) alongside dedicated lines for a hybrid approach. This ability to utilize lower-cost Internet connections while maintaining secure and reliable performance reduces the overall operational expenditure compared to MPLS. Businesses can significantly cut networking costs by avoiding expensive leased lines, especially in geographically dispersed locations.
2. AES Data Encryption
Security is a critical concern for any business, especially when handling sensitive data across wide area networks. While MPLS offers reliable, private connections, it lacks built-in encryption. For businesses that need end-to-end encryption, MPLS networks often require additional security protocols like IPsec, which can complicate the setup and increase costs.
On the other hand, SD-WAN incorporates Advanced Encryption Standard (AES-256 encryption) by default, providing built-in encryption for all traffic over public or private connections. This feature ensures that data traveling across less secure broadband links is protected, making SD-WAN a more secure choice for modern businesses handling sensitive information.
3. Flexible Contracts
MPLS services typically involve long-term, rigid contracts with carriers, often locking businesses into fixed bandwidth and service levels for multiple years. Adjusting the service requires going through the carrier, leading to delays and increased costs.
SD-WAN offers flexibility in both technology and provider choice. Organizations can easily scale their bandwidth needs up or down and switch providers without being tied to long-term contracts. This agility allows businesses to adapt their WAN to changing needs without the burden of multi-year agreements, reducing both costs and the complexity of maintaining the network.
4. Rapid Deployment
One of MPLS's greatest challenges is the lengthy deployment process. Provisioning new MPLS circuits can take weeks, sometimes months, as it involves coordinating with a carrier to install the infrastructure. This delay can hinder businesses in rapidly expanding environments or those that need to set up temporary sites.
In contrast, SD-WAN enables rapid deployment, sometimes within days. By leveraging readily available broadband or 4G/5G LTE networks, SD-WAN can be deployed across multiple sites in a fraction of the time it takes to provision MPLS. This speed of deployment makes SD-WAN a perfect solution for businesses looking to expand quickly or respond to new market demands without waiting for infrastructure installation.
5. Carrier Redundancy
With MPLS, businesses are often tied to a single service provider for their network connectivity. If that provider experiences an outage, it can cause widespread disruption to operations.
SD-WAN enables carrier redundancy by supporting multiple Internet Service Providers (ISPs) simultaneously. Businesses can combine broadband, LTE, and MPLS circuits into a single SD-WAN environment, ensuring failover and load balancing across different carriers. If one link fails, SD-WAN automatically reroutes traffic through other available paths, maintaining high availability and minimizing downtime.
6. Bring Your Own Connectivity (BYO Connectivity)
MPLS networks require organizations to rely on the provider's specific infrastructure, limiting options when it comes to connectivity sources.
SD-WAN offers a BYO connectivity model, where businesses can mix and match any available WAN links, including public Internet, private MPLS, or cellular networks. This flexibility allows businesses to choose the most cost-effective or best-performing link at each location, optimizing network performance and cost savings. SD-WAN's agnostic approach to connectivity makes it highly adaptable to different environments and use cases.
7. Hybrid Networks
While MPLS has traditionally been used to connect remote sites with a hub-and-spoke model, SD-WAN supports the creation of hybrid networks. With SD-WAN, businesses can combine existing MPLS circuits with public broadband or LTE links to form a hybrid WAN. This offers the best of both worlds: the reliability of MPLS with the affordability and flexibility of broadband.
Hybrid SD-WAN networks provide improved performance by intelligently routing traffic based on application priority, network conditions, and link availability. For instance, mission-critical applications can be routed over MPLS, while less sensitive traffic can be sent over broadband, ensuring optimal efficiency.
8. Quality of Service (QoS)
MPLS is known for its predictable performance and Quality of Service (QoS) capabilities. Businesses can prioritize certain types of traffic (such as voice or video) over others, ensuring that critical applications receive the necessary bandwidth to function effectively.
SD-WAN takes QoS a step further by offering application-aware routing and dynamic path selection. SD-WAN devices monitor network conditions in real time and can automatically shift traffic to the most appropriate path based on latency, jitter, and packet loss. This intelligent traffic routing ensures that applications receive high-quality service, even over lower-cost broadband connections, matching (and often exceeding) MPLS performance in many cases.
Wrap
While MPLS remains a solid option for enterprise WANs, it is becoming increasingly clear that SD-WAN offers a more flexible, affordable, and powerful solution for today’s digitally transformed businesses.
SD-WAN’s cost advantages and built-in encryption make it an attractive alternative.
Its rapid deployment and flexible contract options provide businesses with the agility they need in today’s competitive environment.
The ability to implement carrier redundancy, support BYO connectivity, and build hybrid networks ensures that SD-WAN delivers high availability and optimal performance.
Lastly, with its enhanced QoS features, SD-WAN can easily handle the complex, latency-sensitive applications that businesses depend on.
For organizations looking to modernize their network infrastructure while cutting costs and maintaining security and reliability, SD-WAN presents a compelling case to replace MPLS as the network backbone of choice.
Ronald Bartels ensures that Internet inhabiting things are connected reliably online at Nepean Networks - the leading specialized SD-WAN Last Mile provider in South Africa. Learn more about the best SD-WAN in the world: 👉Contact Nepean✈️
