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Chapter 2: Cisco Remote Connection Products

Generally speaking, the information you must consider to select the appropriate piece of
network hardware consists of the following:

Availability

--Ask yourself if you can get the service in your area, and what are the

geographic restrictions to this technology, who are service providers and what is the
backhaul network or infrastructure that will carry your data past the last mile? Availability
is the most critical criterion for many out-of-the-way ROs and SOHOs. Remember that
telecommuting from a ranch in Big Bend might sound fantastic, but determining the
modes of communication that are available is the key consideration behind the
implementation.

Reliability and QoS

--Will voice or video be added at a later time? How critical is the

traffic? If it is a brokerage house or online banking institution, the aspect of reliability may
override all other factors. If it is a local tire shop, which checks inventory at the
warehouse, the reliability of the link may not be mission critical. The loss of this link
during a bad storm or local power outage may be a minor concern to the tire shop. If there
is no local power then you probably can't install any tires anyway. Is a backup link
needed? Is the link critical enough to warrant backup services for it? If you are a home
user and you lose your phone or ISDN service do you need a backup?

Cost

--WAN fees must be paid every month. This parameter is the driving force behind

many decisions, as it should be. The Cisco DDR feature enables the WAN link to be
present when interesting traffic, as defined by the administrator or customer, warrants it.
The bandwidth-on-demand (BoD) feature is another method to reduce WAN costs but
maintain speed.

Security requirements and access control

--Today many companies are embracing the

idea of e-commerce. Consumers, customers, and outsiders are given access to different
parts of the internal corporate network. To protect the internal network, you should know
what type of control is in place, what type can be put in place, and how much each type
costs. A small biotechnical research firm, whose only asset is the information on the
network, might be willing to expend a great deal of effort to ensure protection. On the
other hand, a small tire shop might be willing to expend only a small amount.

Bandwidth usage

Speed

is a better way to describe this issue. You should know

how much information can be received and how much must be received. Not enough
bandwidth leads to congestion and frustration for the SOHO, RO, or branch office. In
fact, too little bandwidth can be the same as none.

Ease of management

--Any solution must be palatable to the customer. If the

administrative overhead of a solution outweighs the viability of the solution it may be
more costly. A solution that continually needs to be fixed, upgraded, changed, or tweaked
is a poor choice in terms of time. On the other hand, any solution that is totally free from
management worries generally costs too much. The issue is to offer the right management
solution for each situation.