Frequently asked questions

Q: What speed can I expect from a Sharedband connection?

A: Sharedband will aggregate the actual speeds of the lines connected to the service minus a small overhead (see FAQ on overhead). This means that if you have 2 broadband connections one running at 2Mbps and the other at 4Mbps the aggregated performance will be up to 6Mbps.

 

Sharedband cannot create "new bandwidth" - it aggregates broadband connections and delivers what is actually available at that time. Line speeds are not always as advertised or constant throughout the day or week, Sharedband software tests the line speeds periodically and adjusts the distribution of packets to optimize the aggregated performance. The frequency of the line tests can be altered as there is a small data traffic overhead with each test.

 

Q: Are there maximum speed limitations with Sharedband?

A: Sharedband is limited by the processing power of the routers used, and currently the maximum throughput achieved with a pool of DG834 routers has been measured at 18Mbps.

 

Higher aggregated bandwidths (i.e. those over 8Mbps) may be restricted by the underlying network infrastructure, excessive congestion, or the ISP and Sharedband cannot guarantee the actual speed achieved. We recommend that simultaneous speed tests of individual connections be conducted to establish the maximum available bandwidth from the network at various times of the day or week. The more diverse the supply of broadband connections the less this is likely to be an issue.

 

Q: What is the overhead with Sharedband?

A: The Sharedband solution adds 24bytes to each packet which is typically 1.6% of the packet size. A very small amount of data is used in the line testing process; the frequency of the line testing is adjustable and should be set to a minimum based on the stability of the speed of the lines being pooled.

 

 

Q: Can Sharedband bond connections with different latencies?

A: Currently the lines to be aggregated must be of similar latencies for optimal performance, i.e. similar round trips times to the Sharedband aggregation server ideally not more than 20ms difference from the fastest to the slowest round trip times. As this difference increases it may adversely affect the performance of the aggregated bandwidth. The next release of the Sharedband software will incorporate packet resequencing which will significantly increase the tolerance level, making it possible to combine lines with widely varying latencies.

 

Q: Is Sharedband limited to ADSL or can I use SDSL/Cable etc?

A: To use Sharedband for non ADSL connections you will need to use the Linksys WRT54GL wireless router in series with your existing broadband modem provided by your ISP. When it is "Sharedband enabled" the Linksys WRT54GL provides a WAN neutral solution suitable for use with the vast majority of broadband connections. If you have and ADSL broadband connection you can use a "Sharedband enabled" Netgear DG834 ADSL modem router - this means you are not required to have a separate modem device.

 

Q: Can I port forward using Sharedband?

A: Yes, port forwarding (PAT) is supported in Sharedband.

 

Q: Does Sharedband support VPN traffic?

A: Sharedband only supports PPTP VPN traffic and IPSEC using UDP or TCP protocols at this time. Further development is underway to support IPSEC using L2TP protocol.

 

Q: What happens if I lose a connection on one of my lines? Does Sharedband stop working?

A: Sharedband will continue to operate if a line is lost and as long is one connection is maintained you won't lose your connection. However the bandwidth will be reduced by the speed of the disconnected line.

 

Q: How does the failover work? If I lose the connection to my gateway, will I lose my connection to the internet?

A: Sharedband enabled routers are configured in VRRP mode. So if you were to lose any of your routers in your network the VRRP function will maintain access to the internet. Sharedband also incorporates a DHCP server failover capability, so you don’t even need to be concerned about loosing your DHCP functionality if that router is lost.

 

Q: How does Sharedband improve resilience?

A: There is no single point of failure and because aggregation occurs at the IP layer, multiple Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and Internet backbone infrastructures can be used - significantly improving resilience when compared to a single provider solution. Soon Sharedband technology will be able to aggregate any type of Internet connection, including ADSL, SDSL, private leased lines, T1's, etc.

 

Q: What about leased lines?

A: For many businesses, high availability, incrementally scaleable and fast connectivity is only achievable by purchasing expensive fiber-optic based private lines also known as T1 connections. For high-usage sites with many employees such as a company HQ, private lines are a justifiable expense. However for the vast majority of small and medium size businesses, local government sites, home workers and multi-site organizations, deploying these expensive circuits is not economically viable.

 

Q: What support is available?

A: 1st level support calls are to your Sharedband Service Provider. If the problem is not resolved immediately, your Service Provider will refer the issue to Sharedband Technical Support to solve.

 

Q: Once I place an order, how quickly can I be up and running?

A: This will depend on whether new telephone lines, ADSL or other services need to be installed. Once the lines and ADSL services have been provisioned by your ISP, the service can be up and running in just a few hours.

 

Q: How would you summarize the Sharedband proposition?

A:

• Sharedband is unique.
• Uses patented technology.
• Operates at the IP layer - major advantages over MLPPP protocols.
• Available anywhere - uses existing infrastructure.
• Speed - offers up to 4x speeds utilizing standard broadband routers.
• Low cost - easy to deploy and inherently scalable.
• Resilient - can bond lines from multiple service providers..
• Enables new customer applications and services to be delivered rapidly.