A leased line is a dedicated, fixed-bandwidth, symmetric data connection. What is a leased line used for? It is used to link two locations together.
The first location is typically a corporate office. The second location is typically another corporate office, a data centre that’s connected to the Internet or a data centre that’s connected to the company’s existing Wide Area Network.
What is a Leased Line Used For?
Businesses use leased lines to
connect to the Internet
link PCs and servers in different corporate offices
carry phone calls
enable staff to connect to their work PCs from home
Leased Lines are Dedicated
By definition, leased lines are ‘dedicated‘. This means that all along the route of your leased line, the bandwidth you need has been reserved solely for your use.
Unlike consumer Internet connections, the bandwidth available does not fall at peak times, when other customers of the same ISP try to use their connections at the same time as you.
Leased Lines are Symmetric
This means they can upload data at the same fast speed at which they can can download data. This can be useful if staff need to…
access their work PC’s desktops from home
send large files
upload sizable files to your web sites
backup data using online services
host web sites on a server at your office
use VoIP telephony
What is a Leased Line Likely to Deliver, Speed-wise?
2Mbps, 10Mbps and 100Mbps are the most popular connection speeds, though connections of 10,000 Mbit/s (10 Gigabits per second) are possible if money is no object.
Advantages of a Dedicated Connection (compared to ADSL)
Faster download speeds are usually available
Faster upload speeds
Connections that don’t slow down at peak times
Greater reliability
Better support
Disadvantages of a Dedicated Connection (compared to ADSL)
Cost – Leased line costs have fallen, but leased lines are still a LOT more expensive than ADSL connections.
Longer Wait – Leased lines may take about three months to install rather than two weeks.
Physical Installation – Installing leased lines is also more complex than installing ADSL, as ADSL can be provided over a pre-existing circuit (your phone line). A leased line will require a new circuit, and is likely to require some construction work to connect your building to the leased line provider’s network.
What Is A Leased Line Likely To Cost Me?
This depends on i) the speed of connection you want ii) your location and iii) the length of the contract you’re willing to sign. Because of this it often takes leased line providers days to provide you with a quote.
Let Midgard do the work for you. Contact us for a free consultation.
