SD-WAN for Multi-Location Businesses
Modern multi-site networking. Aggregates internet links, routes traffic intelligently, secures branch offices. The MPLS replacement for most use cases.
What it is
Software-Defined Wide Area Network is a way to connect multiple business locations using whatever internet connections are locally available (fiber, cable, fixed wireless, LTE) instead of expensive dedicated MPLS circuits. SD-WAN appliances at each site coordinate via a central controller to route traffic optimally and apply security policies.
How it works
Each location gets an SD-WAN appliance and one or more internet circuits (fiber primary, cable backup is a common pattern). The appliances form a secure overlay network across the public internet. The controller routes traffic based on policy: critical voice goes over the most stable link, bulk file transfers use the cheapest one, security traffic is inspected before exiting. If a circuit fails, traffic auto-fails over to the backup.
Best for
- ✓ Businesses with 3-100+ locations
- ✓ Companies replacing aging MPLS deployments
- ✓ Operations needing centralized network visibility and policy
- ✓ Multi-site organizations with variable circuit availability per location
- ✓ Businesses adopting SaaS heavily and wanting direct-to-cloud routing
Not ideal for
- ✗ Single-location businesses (overkill — just buy good internet)
- ✗ Organizations with extreme latency requirements that only MPLS can meet
- ✗ Companies without IT capacity to manage policy decisions
Pricing
Total cost typically 30-60% less than MPLS for equivalent connectivity, with better resilience. Vendors charge per-site for hardware + management. Internet circuits are separate and usually local.
Vendors we work with for SD-WAN
Get a SD-WAN quote for your address
Tell Byte what you need and we'll pull live channel pricing from the carriers and vendors that serve your specific location.
FAQ
Do we still need MPLS?
Probably not. Most SD-WAN deployments fully replace MPLS for 80-90% of use cases at lower cost. Some businesses keep MPLS for specific high-priority traffic (e.g. legacy mainframe access) and use SD-WAN for everything else.
What internet circuits should we put behind SD-WAN?
Best practice: dedicated fiber as primary at each site, business cable as failover. Some sites with no fiber availability use bonded cable + LTE. The SD-WAN handles the routing complexity.
How long does deployment take?
Typically 60-120 days for the first 5-10 sites, faster for subsequent locations as the team learns the playbook. Vendor will assign a deployment manager.
Can SASE replace SD-WAN?
SASE platforms (Cato, Cloudflare One) integrate SD-WAN with cloud-delivered security. For new multi-site deployments, SASE often makes more sense than separate SD-WAN + security stacks. For existing SD-WAN with separate firewall, layering SASE-style cloud security may be the path.