CATO Networks

JUNE 4, 2017

As a result, SD-WAN adopters have remained chained to their MPLS services, paying exorbitant bandwidth fees just to deliver these core applications. Now a new kind of inexpensive, high-quality, SLA-backed backbone is emerging, one that allows companies to finally overcome their MPLS dependency. But that doesnt have to be the case.

MPLS 52

MPLS Internet Bandwidth WAN 52

CATO Networks

OCTOBER 10, 2018

MPLS has been a popular choice for enterprise networks for many years. Despite the relatively high costs, MPLS can deliver SLA-backed performance required for todays applications. Myth 2: The Entire Network Needs to be Built with MPLS Businesses have embraced cloud applications for ease of access and lower costs.

WAN 52

WAN MPLS VPN Internet 52

CATO Networks

FEBRUARY 27, 2017

Software-Defined Wide Area Networks (SD-WANs) promised to address the high costs, rigidity and limitations of private MPLS services. The Problem of MPLS Bandwidth costs remain the most obvious problem facing MPLS services. The Problem of MPLS Bandwidth costs remain the most obvious problem facing MPLS services.

WAN 52

WAN MPLS Bandwidth Internet 52

CATO Networks

OCTOBER 2, 2017

SD-WAN Cost Savings Early marketing around SD-WAN technology pointed to the 90 percent cost difference between MPLS and Internet bandwidth costs. Cant Eliminate MPLS All too often, the cost savings of SD-WAN stem from the expectation of eliminating a carriers costly MPLS service. The reality is very different.

WAN 52

WAN Wide Area Network MPLS Internet 52

CATO Networks

MARCH 20, 2018

MPLS networks have been the standard configuration for enterprise networks for years, providing predictability and availability. However dependable, MPLS comes with its own set of challenges, such as expensive connectivity and long deployment times. In fact with active/active configurations, SD-WAN can provide better uptime than MPLS.

WAN 52

WAN MPLS Wide Area Network Network Security 52

CATO Networks

FEBRUARY 13, 2017

Jims research showed in part (check out the webinar for full details) how customer concerns around MPLS and those around the Internet are directly inverse of one another. For MPLS services, customers were most concerned about cost, uptime and latency. There is no native encryption with MPLS services; data is sent in the clear.

WAN 52

WAN MPLS Internet Firewall 52

Akins IT

NOVEMBER 17, 2020

Performance MPLS was the top dog in enterprise WAN before cloud-computing and mobile smart devices exploded in popularity. Once cloud and mobile became mainstream, a fundamental flaw in MPLS was exposed. With MPLS, enterprises have to deal with the trombone effect . Bottom line - MPLS bandwidth is expensive.

WAN 52

WAN MPLS Digital Transformation Bandwidth 52

CATO Networks

SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

Security between locations, though, was not an issue provided the WAN was based, as most were, on a private MPLS service. With its ability to separate customer traffic, MPLS services give enterprise IT professionals enough confidence to send data unencrypted between locations.

WAN 52

WAN MPLS Network Security Internet 52

CATO Networks

APRIL 12, 2018

More specifically, t he rise of WAN optimization began around 2004 and addressed the limitations of the limited capacity of costly MPLS and leased line connections. The encryption problem : Most enterprise traffic today is encrypted and data compression and deduplication are ineffective on encrypted traffic.

WAN 52

WAN MPLS Wide Area Network Bandwidth 52

CATO Networks

JUNE 19, 2018

Born alongside the expensive MPLS data service, WAN optimization appliances allowed organizations to squeeze more bandwidth out of thin pipes through compression and deduplication, as well as prioritizing traffic of loss-sensitive applications such as remote desktops. WAN optimization has been with us for a long time.

WAN 52

WAN MPLS Network Security Bandwidth 52

CATO Networks

OCTOBER 9, 2017

Cato Cloud connects all enterprise network elements, including branch locations, the mobile workforce, and physical and cloud datacenters, into a global, encrypted and optimized SD-WAN in the cloud. Enterprises connect to the Cato Cloud Network via any last mile transport (Internet, MPLS, 4G/LTE).

WAN 52

WAN Wide Area Network MPLS Internet 52

CATO Networks

AUGUST 7, 2018

With SD-WAN, organizations can deliver more responsive, more predictable applications at lower cost in less time than the managed MPLS services traditionally used by the enterprise. In an SD-WAN, a specialized appliance at the sites edge connects to the network services, typically MPLS and at least two Internet services.

WAN 52

WAN MPLS Wide Area Network Data Centers 52

CATO Networks

FEBRUARY 19, 2018

Another factor is the Internets erraticness and, as such, the inability to leave a costly MPLS service. Cato addresses both by converging a complete suite of security services into the Cato network, an SLA-backed network thats an affordable, MPLS alternative. Installing a new MPLS circuit can take 90 days or more.

WAN 52

WAN MPLS Firewall Internet 52

CATO Networks

APRIL 25, 2017

MPLS-based services are under pressure from emerging Internet-based solutions. With MPLS revenue streams at risk, the carriers are pursuing a two-prong strategy: augmenting MPLS with Software-Defined Wide Area Networking (SD-WAN) and adding value-add services to the core network with Network Function Virtualization (NFV).

Cloud 52

Cloud MPLS WAN Internet 52

CATO Networks

JULY 7, 2022

In some cases, it might be an MPLS network, which is no longer suitable (or affordable) for the modern digital business. Encrypted tunnels across these last-mile transport carry traffic to nearest PoP. Controlling the routing and achieving MPLS-like consistency and predictability anywhere in the world. Why a Global SASE Service?

SASE 52

SASE MPLS WAN Internet 52

CATO Networks

OCTOBER 31, 2018

Traditional hub-and-spoke networking has enterprises backhauling WAN traffic from branches over MPLS circuits to a central site and applying security policies before sending the traffic to the cloud or the public Internet. SD-WAN has emerged as a popular alternative to MPLS.

WAN 52

WAN MPLS Firewall Gateway 52

CATO Networks

JANUARY 2, 2022

But whats particularly interesting for anyone moving away from a global MPLS network or otherwise looking at WAN transformation is the impact NaaS will have on evolving the enterprise backbone. Only by converging SASE with NaaS can companies eliminate costly, legacy MPLS services. But SASE alone cant replace MPLS.

NaaS 52

NaaS SASE WAN Network 52

CATO Networks

AUGUST 17, 2021

SD-WAN Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) is a virtual WAN architecture offering optimized traffic routing over multiple different media (broadband, MPLS, 5G/LTE, etc.). MPLS Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) routes traffic over telecommunications networks using short path labels instead of longer network addresses.

Network 52

Network Networking NaaS SASE 52

CATO Networks

NOVEMBER 13, 2024

2: Global Connectivity and Performance Manufacturers often rely on MPLS networks that lack the ability to address their modern needs, like global connectivity to various remote locations, flexibility, scalability, and real-time support of high data volumes. It also improved Flggers ability to securely integrate new partners.

SASE 59

SASE MPLS Cloud Network 59

CATO Networks

APRIL 20, 2016

SD-WAN uses a software-based control plane to drive on-premise edge devices to dynamically allocate Wide Area Network (WAN) traffic between MPLS and Internet links. SD-WAN is effective because it is self-contained (i.e. does not require standards and cross-vendor cooperation) and addresses a narrow IT problem.

Network Security 52

Network Security Cloud Network Networking 52

CATO Networks

AUGUST 29, 2018

You can play it safe by retaining a pricey MPLS circuit at each branch location and configuring your SD-WAN to route latency-sensitive traffic over it when Internet links are congested. We believe theres a better option: one that retains Internet economics while bumping up network characteristics to be on par with MPLS.

WAN 40

WAN Application MPLS Internet 40

CATO Networks

JULY 4, 2023

Earlier last month, we announced that Cato reached a new SASE throughput record , achieving 5 Gbps on a single encrypted tunnel with all security inspections fully enabled. Companies need encrypted, secure high throughput between their clouds or to the central data centers in their hybrid deployments.

SASE 52

SASE Cloud Data Centers Encryption 52

CATO Networks

OCTOBER 13, 2019

Appliance-based SD-WAN and MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) simply arent designed to address these use cases. MPLS was designed to provide dedicated, reliable, and high-performance connections between two endpoints before cloud and mobile took over the world. SD-WAN appliances are not security appliances.

WAN 40

WAN Cloud MPLS Encryption 40

CATO Networks

MARCH 1, 2017

Rather than connecting every location to the Internet and then having to secure those locations, legacy WANs backhauled Internet traffic across the MPLS network to a centralized, secured Internet portal. Research shows that DIA bandwidth costs can be as much as 90 percent less than MPLS bandwidth costs.

WAN 52

WAN MPLS Internet Bandwidth 52

Kentik

JULY 6, 2017

Carrier MPLS services are really expensive bandwidth. But the reality is that within most providers both MPLS VPN services and public Internet services ride on the same shared network infrastructure. Now that the traffic is routing over the Internet, encryption becomes a must have. For enterprises, SD-WAN makes a lot of sense.

WAN 40

WAN MPLS IP Address Internet 40

CATO Networks

OCTOBER 23, 2019

DG: Whats the biggest risk enterprises face when migrating from MPLS to SD-WAN? DG: Is WAN transformation only about replacing MPLS for you? FS: Well, I think architecturally theres a big difference [ between MPLS and SD-WAN ]. DG: What are the security implications of moving away from MPLS?

WAN 52

WAN Network Networking MPLS 52

CATO Networks

JUNE 27, 2018

Initially, SD-WAN was driven by the need for cost-saving since WAN infrastructure, MPLS, in particular, can be quite expensive. A workaround enterprises have used to improve site availability, is pairing an MPLS connection with backup Internet connections. SD-WAN provides encrypted Internet tunnels for traffic traversing the WAN.

WAN 40

WAN MPLS Bandwidth Internet 40

CATO Networks

MAY 6, 2018

Companies needing to connect their users to the services in the cloud, who have been using a wide-area network (WAN) with MPLS for security, are seeing the benefits of using a software-defined wide-area network (SD-WAN) for connectivity. Bandwidth-intensive traffic, bound for the Internet and cloud, are backhauled across the MPLS WAN.

WAN 40

WAN Cloud Wide Area Network MPLS 40

CATO Networks

NOVEMBER 19, 2017

When it comes to SD-WAN, he concedes: Theres a huge business case that SD-WAN products are aiming to solve: replacing traditional MPLS/VPN networks with encrypted transport over public Internet.Internet access is often orders of magnitude cheaper than traditional circuits.

WAN 52

WAN Network Networking Wide Area Network 52

CATO Networks

MAY 24, 2022

Azure SD-WANs MPLS and SD-WAN Problem When organizations start relying on Azure, two problems become increasingly apparent. The approach does nothing for mobile users who sit off the MPLS network regardless. Theres also no private global network so youre still reliant on MPLS for predicable connectivity. Lets see how.

WAN 52

WAN Cloud Network Networking 52

CATO Networks

MARCH 7, 2019

Those might be MPLS services or Internet last-mile services, such as DSL, cable, and 4G. Last-mile flexibility Cato SD-WAN devices, Cato Sockets, sit in each location, automatically establishing encrypted tunnels across available Internet connection to the nearest Cato Point of Presence (PoP).

WAN 52

WAN Internet MPLS Cloud 52

CATO Networks

OCTOBER 5, 2021

The backbones cloud-native software provides global routing optimization, self-healing capabilities, WAN optimization for maximum end-to-end throughput, and full encryption. Cato SASE Cloud runs on a private global backbone of 65+ PoPs connected via multiple SLA-backed network providers.

SASE 52

SASE WAN MPLS Cloud 52

CATO Networks

NOVEMBER 19, 2019

It is easy for an enterprise to fall into a false sense of security because they can view all the traffic traversing MPLS links. The problem is today enterprise WANs are a mix of MPLS, Internet-based VPNs, mobile users, and cloud services. I can even see down to a single person and how much bandwidth (s)he is using.

Network 52

Network Networking WAN MPLS 52

CATO Networks

MAY 19, 2022

SD-WAN Receive a thorough exploration of a proposed vendors SD-WAN offering, covering link management, traffic routing and QoS, voice and latency-sensitive traffic, throughput and edge devices, monitoring and reporting, site provisioning, gradual deployment / co-existence with legacy MPLS networks.

SASE 52

SASE WAN Network Networking 52

CATO Networks

APRIL 15, 2018

For example, if some branch locations are not connected via MPLS , separate firewalls may be required, forcing security administrators to manage separate network security policies. FWaaS eliminates those issues by uniformly applying the security policy on all traffic, for all locations and users.

Firewall 52

Firewall WAN Network Security Gateway 52

CATO Networks

NOVEMBER 19, 2019

Internet-based VPN gained popularity over the last decade in part as a lower-cost, albeit flawed, alternative to MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching). Site-to-site VPNs enable enterprises to securely connect physical locations over the public Internet by creating an encrypted connection between two on-premises appliances.

VPN 40

VPN WAN Internet MPLS 40

CATO Networks

JUNE 5, 2018

Most SD-WAN vendors provide basic security features such as encryption, layer 2 access control, and possibly some basic firewall functionality. Unlike unmanaged Internet connections, a provider-owned backbone provides an MPLS-like SLA-backed latency but at an affordable cost.

WAN 52

WAN Wide Area Network Data Centers IaaS 52