The Internet is an incredible accomplishment. It allows businesses to connect with employees and customers worldwide with the push of a button. For this reason alone, many companies and individuals rely on their internet connection to keep the lights on and businesses running.
Unfortunately, even the best standard internet connection isn’t always reliable. Servers go down, routers fail, and ISPs experience technical issues. When the internet fails you, your business will lose its online presence. Each moment of downtime will cost you. That’s why it’s so important to have a backup plan in place.
Solutions like an internet failover system will help keep your business connected even when your primary network goes down. The right failover system can keep a network running in the face of component failures and connectivity issues, so there’s never a coverage gap.
What Is Internet Failover?
The term “failover” refers to the ability to reliably and seamlessly switch to a backup whenever a system component goes down; whenever a primary system component “fails,” an internet failover system moves network traffic “over” to a reliable backup network to mitigate the impact on users.
For example, if a business’s primary routers crash, a failover system would drive network traffic to backup routers. Users will not feel the effects of the router failure, and the switch to the backup system would be entirely automatic — so there’s no need for human intervention until the primary servers are back online.
Setting up an internet failover system is an essential part of business protocols and network planning. The failover system prevents downtime, keeps things running smoothly, and helps save time in the critical hours after a disaster.
Failover solutions can be as simple as a switch to swap to another router or as complex as a complete secondary network. Different businesses will have different needs; choosing the right failover solution for your company depends on what software or network tools you need to protect. You can get complete bundles from providers like Novotech that are designed to meet your needs.
Who Needs a Failover Solution?
Any business that relies on the Internet for daily operations can benefit from having a failover solution in place. But two groups will get the most peace of mind from having internet failover to stay connected no matter what:
- Small businesses
- Folks who work from home offices
Failover Solutions for Small Businesses
Today’s small businesses often rely extensively on the web. From making sales through their websites to working directly with clients via email and video chats, it’s easy for small businesses to operate and exist entirely online.
For the modern small business, an internet crash can be catastrophic. Setting up a robust and well-designed failover system can help to protect mission critical business services and ensure the business will run smoothly even when primary systems fail.
Failover Solutions for Home Offices
Working from home comes with many of the same risks as running a small business. Home office workers rely on their internet connection to do their jobs, and if their network goes down, they may face serious consequences for failing to complete tasks.
An automatic failover solution can help home office workers to keep performing their jobs even if system failures or technical glitches cause interruptions. Home office workers may even be able to request that their company reimburse them for the costs of setting up failover to continue doing their job.
When Should a Business Invest in Failover?
Failover solutions cost money, so it’s only natural to wonder whether the investment is worthwhile. To decide whether it’s worth investing in automatic failover and internet backup systems, ask yourself three questions:
- What would happen if your Internet or point of sale systems went down for an hour? A day? A week?
- How much would it cost to find a short-term solution if your Internet went down?
- If you couldn’t find an immediate solution for your internet connection problems, would you or your company recover from the damage?
Even the best internet provider will occasionally have downtime. It’s not a question of whether you will lose internet access; it’s a question of when and for how long. If losing internet access for a day would cost you more than the monthly cost of having an internet failover solution in place, then it’s safe to say the investment is a wise and cost effective choice.
What Do I Need for a Complete Failover Solution?
Setting up a complete internet failover solution can be simpler than you’d think. It’s just a matter of starting with the right equipment and services to help you prepare for the future without the hassle of swapping things out later. Once the system is up and running, your failover should continue to function perfectly well for years to come without much upkeep.
Internet Failover Hardware Requirements
To set up your automatic failover network, you’ll need some hardware that can support a secondary system:
- Router: As with any internet connection, a router is required for your devices to connect to the Internet. Unlike most common internet solutions used by small businesses and home offices, internet failover solutions commonly use cellular routers, which use wireless 4G LTE cellular networks to connect to the Internet instead of traditional cables — so they keep working even when cable lines break.
- Antennas: Cellular routers rely on their ability to effectively pick up and broadcast cell signals. To ensure your router works as efficiently as possible, be sure to invest in quality cellular antennas. Cellular antennas boost signal power and reception, so weather and other obstructions don’t disrupt your internet connection.
Internet Failover Service Requirements
Once you have the right equipment, you’ll need to choose a service that can provide you with the internet failover connection. Choosing a reliable internet service will be what ultimately makes your investment in a failover solution worthwhile.
Novotech can help. Instead of choosing your router, antennas, and service provider separately, Novotech provides bundle solutions that incorporate the best and most compatible failover hardware and data solutions to meet your needs. The devices included in our solutions have been selected to work well together and support everyday small business or home office setups.
The process of getting your automatic failover solution up and running has never been more straightforward. With Novotech’s failover hardware and bundle solutions, you can receive the reliable internet backup services and data you need.
Why Should You Invest in a Failover Solution?
In the grand scheme of running your business, an internet failover is a small but worthwhile investment of time and money. If you’re still not sure whether it’s worth it, consider three key reasons why making the investment in an internet failover system would be a wise decision for you:
Peace of Mind
Keeping your business running can be stressful as it is. A hundred different responsibilities pull at you from all directions every day. There’s no reason to let an internet outage make things worse.
Especially if you work from home or run a small business, in today’s digital world, your daily operations rely extensively on internet connection. Using an internet failover service will give you the peace of mind you need to focus on doing your best work, even if bad weather or a service outage strikes.
Disaster Recovery
Natural disasters like thunderstorms or heavy winds can instantly cut internet access for thousands of people who rely on cable internet. Cybercriminals and attacks on your ISP can also cause substantial damage to your digital infrastructure.
Statistics show that, when disaster strikes, anywhere from 40-60% of small businesses never manage to reopen. Having a disaster recovery plan in place that includes failover solutions can help you maintain business continuity through thick and thin.
Disaster recovery is not the same as failover. Click here to learn the difference between disaster recovery and failover.
Better Communication and Customer Service
Even if you’re not worried about a complete disaster or cybersecurity incident, having a failover solution in place will make your business better.
During routine downtimes or network outages for your ISP, a failover system lets you continue communicating with customers or employees. This means that as a small business, you can keep providing excellent customer service even if your primary network services experience technical problems or have to be down for maintenance.
Similarly, as an office worker, you can continue to perform your job and communicate with your employer even if you experience temporary network downtime.
The Internet Is Invaluable
No matter what type of work you do, it’s important that operations run smoothly and the job gets done in a timely fashion. A failover solution helps you keep going even when circumstances work against you.
There’s no reason to risk your business or job with unreliable internet connections when solutions like Novotech’s internet failover data and device bundles are available here. Solutions like Novotech’s failover packages will help keep your business up and running. You get to relax and focus on your work, knowing that you are fully prepared for whatever network issues you might encounter. In a business world that’s constantly evolving, that peace of mind is priceless.