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Can Broadband *Truly* Replace T1 for a Business?

By net_engineer ·
Given the state of "faster" broadband technologies (5 Mbps to 9 Mbps Cable and DSL) and Broadband "Business Services" catering to true business needs, etc., why would one decide to look for leased T1 connections versus, say, a business-class Cable or DSL connection? I'm looking for a pro/con list and a discussion over whether broadband can actually be considered a point-for-point replacement for a T1 in the business arena. I'm not seeing how the traditional T1 route can justify its costs any more. Maybe someone with a little more longevity in this industry or more WAN connectivity experience than I can weigh in on this.

Example: A medium-sized business needing true 24/7/365 connectivity, prividing online content to nation-wide customers. In a situation like this, things like uptime SLA's, static IP's, (possibly) hosted DNS servers, Cisco router/PIX connectivity and compatibility, etc. become true issues. Typically, a business like this might opt for the standard 1.544 Mbps T1 with a failover connection to a (gasp) ISDN 128k or something of that ilk. But why not go with redundant Cable or DSL connections now?

Other Issues:
Price?
Reliability?
Gauranteed throughput?
Multiple public IP addresses?
Customer Support turnaround times?
Supported WAN protocols?
Single points of failure?

Any well thought-out comments are appreciated (I don't want this thread to wind up being a "look how much faster my DSL tops out at vs. your Cable connection" flame war).

Thanks.

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Cable

by mjd420nova In reply to Can Broadband *Truly* Rep ...

If it's throughput you're looking for, Cable is
the way to go. You can get all the upload equal
to download you could want--- for the price.
Same goes for satilite and even DSL. You got the
bucks-- get the best, fastest and as reliable
as any other available.

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article lacked content

by gastron In reply to Can Broadband *Truly* Rep ...

the article "Can broadband truly replace T1 for a business" told me absolutely nothing about the differences or Pros and Cons regarding broadband versus T1 and providing no relavent information in order to make a well founded decision.

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Was not an article

by net_engineer In reply to article lacked content

Hi -

I didn't write the post to be an informative article, I was simply posting to a message board asking for networking pro's to weigh in on the subject. I was simply looking for input from others who have had to deal with this particular issue, and if they had any additional insight that may help. I have about 7 years hands-on experience in the networking & admin. industry, have certifications (CCNA, MCP's, etc), but I have little hands-on WAN experience, so I was looking for any "gotcha's" if you tried to supplant "classic" T1 functionality with a broadband technology.

I wasn't trying to teach class. I was asking a question to the professors out there who already know the subject.

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