FAQs

Overview - FAQs

What is the difference between Bonding ADSL and Load Balanced ADSL?

With a truly bonded solution the bonding is done at 'packet level', what this means is that a 10Mbps file will be broken down and use the capacity of all available lines. For example if you were to send an 10Mbps files over 3 Bonded ADSL Max Premium the capacity is available to download the file at 24Mbps! With a Load Balanced algorithm the connection is session based. The business broadband hardware will select an individual line for the file to travel down. You increase the ability to send more files, but truly bonding increases the speed at which a file can be sent.

How many static IP's can I have?

As standard 5 useable. If you require more then just ask! There is no additional charge but they will need to be justified to RIPE.

What is the lead-time for ADSL Max and SDSL?

Standard lead-time is 15 working days with ADSL Max and 20 working days with SDSL. This can be reduced using our Fast Track Service.

Will an engineer arrive at site?

No. All kit is fully managed and will arrive on site as pre-configured. You will receive a step by step guide and have a project manager on the end of the phone should you have any questions or queries.

Whats happens if the bonding device malfunctions?

Automatic pass through will occur. You will still be able to connect to other sites and the internet offering a high availability connection.

How does the bonding device work?

The bonding device will sit in front of your firewall and will be presented as a single RJ45. The bonding device breaks files down at packet level, they are then recombine by one of our carrier grade bonding devices ii one of our Datacentres. We have multiple carrier grade bonding devices and they are set-up as high availability. In the unlikely event of a central bonder failing it will automatically failover.

Can I use VoiP and Video?

Yes! The Managed Communications business broadband network has been designed to work with low latency connections such as VoIP and Video. Voice requires a latency of around 150ms, the Managed Communications network is sub 30ms. The connection can also be used with Thin Client.

What is your SLA?

You get a 99.9% Service Level Agreement with all of our services.

How do you offer a private network?

It is a closed user environment made up of multiple carriers fibre backbones. This allows us to offer true multi-vendor resilience. It also means that when choosing a Bonded ADSL or SDSL service we can balance multiple vendor DSL connections to offer the highest resilience possible!

What are your response times on a fault?

Response from us is immediate! You have a dedicated support team based in the UK and available on freephone 0800 075 443. There is a self-service log-in portal and you can e-mail our team at support@managedcomms.co.uk.

Can we use our existing phone lines?

Yes, certainly! You can order our business ADSL onto your existing phone line or we can migrate you away from you existing ISP. SDSL is delivered over dedicated copper so each install will have a dedicated phone line included as part of the service.

Is this a fully managed service?

100%! We managed all of the kit and our support team are always happy to help. The kit will arrive on site as a plug n play with an installation manual.

Can we use our existing firewalls?

Of course. The kit we supply will work in conjunction with your existing hardware. We even offer managed firewalls as an additional service! Typically we work with Juniper Netscreens or Cisco ASA's. These can also be configured to allow people working remotely or from home to VPN back to site. This will be fully managed by experts.

What hardware do I need to purchase?

Nothing at all! Everything is included in the cost. We will provide a managed router for each ADSL or SDSL circuit, the bonding device will come with 4 Ports as standard should you need to upgrade and if you order a managed firewall we will pre-configure that exactly to your specification. Our technical support team are all Cisco certified and they answer the phone within 3 rings!

What would happen in the event of a line failure?

The connection would automatically fail-over! The static IP's we provide will sit behind the combine ADSL or SDSL circuits. In the event of a single line failure you will not lose connectivity just the capacity of the line itself. We also pro-actively monitor your connection and can also give you access via a web front end!

How does it compare to a Leased Line?

Our solution has the same characteristics as a Leased Line but as it runs over copper doesn't have the associated costs as a Leased Line! We provide multiple ADSL and SDSL connections which means there is no single line failure. An increase in speed is also a benefit vs a Leased Line. Through the provision of Bonded ADSL we can increase the download by up to 10 x as fast and still typically for 50% of the cost.

What happens if we move offices in 3 months?

You can take it with you. As a supplier we have 100% coverage of the UK through our unique LLU. You can move your ADSL connections at anytime during the contract and there is no limit to how often. Should you close a branch you can move the connection to another site.

BT say Bonding will no longer work, is that true?

Not at all! BT traditionally used to bond using a protocol known as multi-link PPP (MLPPP) as part of the 21CN the kit at the local exchanges was swapped from Cisco to Juniper. Typically MLPPP would consist of a Cisco 2811 on-site and the data would be recombined at the local exchange using BT's Cisco infrastructure. With a Managed Communications Bonded solution there is zero reliance on BT! We have our own network and bonding infrastructure, the niche technology was designed over 5 years ago, you can be confident that you are working with the market innovators and market leaders. You can be confident that you are working with the experts!

Where are your technical support team based?

Our support team are UK based. We have offices in Edinburgh, Bath and our HQ is in Nottingham.

How qualified are your technical support team?

All of our technical support team are Cisco certified.

How can we reduce latency between our sites?

If you have more than one site in the UK then through the provision of our private ADSL circuits you can route all of the traffic through a closed user group instead of the public internet! This will drastically improve contention, congestion and latency between sites. The connection will have fewer hops and be more secure. We can also give the sites local internet if required.

What happens if we need more bandwidth?

No problem! The bonding device as standard comes with 4 ports giving you a capacity to download at 96Mbps via Bonded ADSL2! You can also Bond SDSL which can provide upto a symmetrical 8Mbps connection!

What speeds can I expect to see from a bonded broadband solution?

It depends on distance from the exchange. We have a wide portfolio of customers ranging from less than 100 meters from the exchange to being nearly 20km away! Speeds will vary dependant on product and distance from the local exchange. All we promise is that whatever speed you can achieve down a single ADSL or SDSL line we can double, triple or quadruple your bandwidth!

How can I be confident it is a genuine Leased Line alternative?

Very! Rest assured that this is a solution that hundreds of companies have benefited from. We provide the service to a number of SME's, large corporates and a wide range of industries. We currently provide connections for the NHS, Police and a large proportion of the public sector. The connection will be stable, reliable and save you about 50% of you current leased line costs!

Will our VPN still work?

Yes the bonded ADSL and Bonded SDSL solutions will support IPSec and SSL VPN's. The connectivity will be presented as one transparent connection and in the unlikely event of a single line failure the VPN will remain connected.

Do I need a phone line for an SDSL Line?

No. The SDSL line is delivered with a dedicated copper line.

What hardware will I receive?

You will receive a managed router for each business ADSL or business SDSL circuit. With a bonded solution you will receive a 4 Port Bonding device.

How is the bonding device presented to our LAN?

The bonding device will present itself to the LAN as a single RJ45.

Our current business broadband is unstable, can you help?

Yes! Through routing your business ADSL through our uncontended network we can provide more reliable and stable connectivity.

Can I bond ADSL 2?

Yes! You can bond ADSL2. Business ADSL2 comes in two flavours; there is ADSL2 Annex A and ADSL2 Annex M. The connection speeds vary, upto 24Mbps download and 2.4Mbps upload can be achieved per Business ADSL2 connection.

How long does it take to get a Leased Line Quote?

We will provide you with a Leased Line quote within 4 hours of your enquiry!

What is your SDSL SLA?

Your SDSL SLA will be covered by a market leading 99.9%! If you choose bonded SDSL lines then there is a 99.9% SLA available.