Difference between Traditional WAN and SD WAN

Prerequisite – Local Area Network & Wide Area Network 

1. Traditional WAN : 

Traditional network is based on completely hardware network devices which mostly rely on Multi Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) for resilient and efficient network traffic flow. Number of hardware devices are installed along with proprietary circuits to route IP services to their intended clients. IT teams gives a lot great effort to manage the network as it involves layers of underlying hardware installed. Scaling of traditional network is difficult as it needs a proper advanced planning along with required network infrastructure to set up and run. A Traditional connects many Local Area Networks (LANs) and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and it is limited to enterprise, branch, and data center. It allows to prioritize your data, voice, and video traffic on network. Security issues and management difficulties are the major problems in traditional WAN now a days. 

Advantages of Traditional WAN:

• Security: Traditional WANs are typically highly secure, as they use dedicated circuits and leased lines to ensure data confidentiality and integrity.
• Reliability: Traditional WANs offer reliable connectivity, as they use dedicated circuits that are typically highly available and have low latency.
• Control: Traditional WANs offer complete control over network traffic, allowing organizations to prioritize certain types of traffic over others and configure routing policies as needed.

Disadvantages of Traditional WAN:

• Cost: Traditional WANs can be expensive to implement and maintain, as they require dedicated circuits and leased lines.
• Scalability: Traditional WANs can be difficult to scale as the organization grows, as adding new sites or increasing bandwidth can be time-consuming and expensive.
• Complexity: Traditional WANs can be complex to manage, as they require specialized skills and expertise to configure and maintain.

2. Software Defined Wide Area Network (SD WAN) :

 SD WAN stands for Software Defined Wide Area Network which is a software defined approach to manage Wide Area Network. In SD WAN software controls everything starting from connectivity to management and providing service. It is a virtual network approach which combines traditional WAN technologies, such as MPLS, LTE and broadband connections. SD WAN is good for global enterprises as it provides a better and secure application performance as well as optimized cloud connectivity and simplified management. Means in the cloud centric world SD WAN are more preferable than traditional WAN. Software Defined Network (SDN) is utilized which helps in determining the optimal way of routing. 

Advantages of SD WAN:

• Cost-effective: SD WANs can be more cost-effective than traditional WANs, as they can use cheaper Internet connections to connect geographically dispersed locations.
• Agility: SD WANs offer greater agility and flexibility, as they can dynamically route traffic over multiple network paths, allowing organizations to respond quickly to changing network conditions.
• Simplified management: SD WANs can be easier to manage than traditional WANs, as they offer centralized management and configuration.

Disadvantages of SD WAN:

• Security: SD WANs can be less secure than traditional WANs, as they rely on the public Internet to transport traffic.
• Reliability: SD WANs can be less reliable than traditional WANs, as they rely on the public Internet, which can be subject to congestion, packet loss, and other performance issues.
• Complexity: SD WANs can be complex to implement and configure, as they require specialized skills and expertise in software-defined networking.

There are a few similarities between Traditional WAN and SD WAN:

• Both Traditional WAN and SD WAN are used to connect geographically dispersed locations.
• Both Traditional WAN and SD WAN can support multiple types of traffic, such as voice, video, and data.
• Both Traditional WAN and SD WAN can be used to provide remote access to corporate resources, such as applications and databases.
• Both Traditional WAN and SD WAN can be used to prioritize and manage network traffic, ensuring that critical applications and services receive sufficient bandwidth and network resources.
• Both Traditional WAN and SD WAN can be monitored and managed using various network management tools and techniques, such as SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) and NetFlow.
   

Difference between Traditional WAN and SD WAN :

Conclusion:

 SD-WAN represents a significant shift in WAN architecture, offering greater flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness than traditional WAN solutions. SD-WAN’s software-defined overlay network architecture, dynamic traffic routing, network visibility, and enhanced security features make it an attractive solution for organizations looking to optimize their WAN performance and reduce costs.