Is your business considering an upgrade to a T1 line? If so, there are a couple of factors to consider before replacing your DSL connection.

Most businesses consider reliability as the single most important factor when deciding what kind of network connection to purchase. If this applies to your business as well, then definitely replace your DSL connection with a T1 line. While DSL is easy to install and affordable for businesses, it isn’t set up to handle commercial applications or large numbers of users. However, a T1 line is geared for larger applications and users.

 

Reliability of a business’s network is key to quickly responding to customer’s and employee’s needs. Customers utilizing your connection to access your company’s databases, server or internet depend on it to be reliable. Employees using the company’s e-mail and internet server also depend on a reliable network to get their work done. Reliability and timeliness are key factors in driving your business to success. A business cannot afford to risk employees’ productivity levels or the loss of customers due to sub-par network connections. A company needs to think beyond “saving money” on their network connection if it can’t support it’s staff and customers. If a DSL connection isn’t making the grade, then a business needs to seriously consider upgrading to a T1 line.

The second factor when considering an upgrade from a DSL connection to a T1 line is cost. Because the monthly cost of a T1 line can be several times more than a DSL connection, residential customers shouldn’t consider a T1 line unless they can write off the expensive on their taxes. What most people don’t understand is a DSL connection, when not oversubscribed, can be as fast as a T1 at 1.5Mbps. SDSL (Synchronous DSL) is a business class DSL connection, therefore ranked higher in priority than residential DSL. SDSL isn’t oversubscribed to the extent that residential DSL is, resulting in fewer bandwidth restrictions.

In summary, if price is your guiding factor then sign up for DSL, but if reliability is crucial to your business, then purchase a dedicated T1 line.

When choosing which satellite internet service to subscribe to consumers have few options. The choice is either between WildBlue or HughesNet and that choice is not easy to make. Retailers of both services attempt to entice customers with rebates, freebies, and other promotional gimmicks. Don’t always believe what you hear or see just because one service offers you a free ipod with your satellite do not mean they are the best choice.

First let’s compare monthly pricing options. WildBlue offers an entry level service they have dubbed the Value Pak at $49.95 a month, this package offers speeds of 512kbps. HughesNet’s comparable package is the Home plan offering users 700kbps for $59.99 per month. To the average consumer this may not look like much of a speed increase for the $10.00 difference but those extra 200kbps is more than a 40% increase in speed across the board. Next we will compare the middle echelon packages. HughesNet offers a package called the Pro plan where as WildBlue offers a package called the Select Pak. Both are very similar in speeds running up to 1000kbps pricing is basically the same at $69.95 a month. And the final package for home uses both companies market is Hughes’s ProPlus and WildBlue’s Pro Pak. The name just like their speed abilities is very similar speeds of up to 1500kbps. Both packages again retail for the same price approximately $79.95 per month.

Installation and equipment costs are where the two satellite internet titans begin differ. WildBlue is currently running promotions offering $100.00 off there standard installation cost of $179.95 bringing the price down to $79.95. And their equipment price has a current rebate of $50.00 dollars bringing equipment down to $249.00 from $299.99. Total equipment and installation costs from WildBlue are $328.95. HughesNet’s rebate is far easier to understand. Installation and equipment costs are bundled and final cost to the consumer is $299.99 after a $100.00 mail in rebate from HughesNet, an overall savings of $28.96 over WildBlue.

How about service? Pricing aside who offers the best service? Well that’s easy, WildBlue’s average set up time can be up to one month depending on whether or not your local contractor has the equipment in stock. Most WildBlue installers do not keep the equipment in stock and must order the equipment which can take up to 3 weeks to be delivered. HughesNet installers consistently have the equipment in stock and install most customers within 3-6 business days. Another disadvantage of WildBlue is the fact they run on the old Ka-band which has severe signal degradation during periods of rain or inclement weather. HughesNet operates on the Ku-Band which offers superior signal quality in all weather. Along with superior signal quality HughesNet is reinvesting in its service by sending a new satellite into orbit named Spaceway 3. Spaceway will offer all HughesNet customers increased speed of up to 16mbps. After weighing all the facts HughesNet is obviously the better choice over WildBlue.

Let’s face it – we live in uncertain times. On any given day you may have a power outage, your Internet connection may be down, your child could wake up sick or you may be faced with some type of natural disaster. Hiccups and disruptions in your work flow COULD be detrimental to your business. However, that doesn’t have to be the case.

Taking a proactive approach to preparing yourself for the unexpected you can minimize the effect on your business. By having a contingency plan, you are establishing yourself as a business professional just like any large corporation. If done correctly, your clients won’t even know you had an issue unless you decide to tell them.

So what exactly is a contingency plan?

A contingency plan is a process you have for your business to protect yourself and your data from being lost during an emergency. Losing data would be detrimental to your business not only for the information that you would have to recreate, but also the violation of your clients’ private affairs.

Here are some steps you can take to protect your business:

   1. Backup Your Computer – Without a doubt, this is THE most important thing you need to do. I personally have an external hard drive that backs up everything on my computer (programs, data, documents, etc.) I have it automatically set to back up once a day in the evening. Then, I have a secondary online backup system that actually saves my data as I create it. I am completely covered in any emergency, like an earthquake. All I have to do is grab my hard drive and I am all set – I don’t even need my computer! Even if I wasn’t able to do that, because all of my computer data is backed up on line, I could access ALL of my business/client files from any computer with an Internet connection. Then, I can plug in my hard drive in any computer and continue working.

   2. Go paperless – One of the benefits to working virtually is having a myriad of online solutions for you to run your business. By minimizing your paper trail and scanning all receipts and important documents that are included in your backup systems. Take advantage of the many web-based software applications available to communicate with your clients and store/share information. In the event of an emergency, your clients will still have access to critical information and you’ll be able to access your client files from any computer with an Internet connection.

   3. Have a buddy or emergency business partner – If you were to get sick or put in the hospital unexpectedly, you probably won’t be able to contact all your clients to let them know what’s going on.  So having a buddy or business partner that knows your business, who you’re working with and how to get a hold of them can come in handy in a pinch. Your buddy may even be able to step in and do some work for you if there is a critical deadline that needs to be met. While your buddy or business partner may not know everything you do, they can help you in an emergency.

Building a contingency plan helps to prepare you and your client in the event of an emergency. By demonstrating you are proactive with your business, your clients will have a new found respect for you as a partner and business owner. Plus, you may even be setting a good example for them in their business.