Want to know the difference between synchronous and asynchronous Internet connections?
Here’s a brief dive into both kinds of connections so you can choose the best option for your business.
1) Fiber-optic networks and Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) circuits provide synchronous Internet connections, while shared networks provide asynchronous Internet connections.
Fiber-optic networks offer synchronous – or symmetric – Internet connectivity as part of Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) circuits.
But when you choose shared Internet connections like DSL, Wi-Fi, or cable modems, you’ll access asynchronous (asymmetric) Internet connections.
2) Synchronous Internet connections have guaranteed, easy-to-manage bandwidth services, with consistent upload and download speeds.
This means that if you were to pay for a 1000 Mbps Metro Ethernet bandwidth connection, you would have a 1000 Mbps connection for both your uploads and your downloads across your entire business.
Also, the bandwidth itself is easy to manage, saving you time and effort that can be better spent elsewhere.
3) Asynchronous Internet connections have faster download speeds and lower upload speeds so users can have more downstream bandwidth.
With asynchronous Internet connections, you can have a fast download speed. This is ideal if most of the service users are primarily downloading information and data (like a homeowner streaming Netflix, for example).
Conversely, though, your upload speeds are much less than your download speeds and aren’t guaranteed. Because the connection is over a shared network, your upload speeds will be affected by other users on your network and what they are doing (also known as contended connections).
4) Asynchronous Internet connections can be less expensive than synchronous Internet connections.
Initial and ongoing costs for asynchronous Internet connections over shared networks can be less expensive than DIA services, which is why they may appeal to your business.
What’s important is to keep in mind how you are using your network now and what you expect your needs to be in the future.
5) You can send and transfer large amounts of data over synchronous Internet connections.
For growing businesses – especially enterprises with multiple locations – data is key. And as we move to a paperless, interconnected, wireless world, data is becoming bigger and bigger… and businesses are sending, uploading, downloading, and transferring larger and larger amounts of data.
If data is a major part of your business (or will be in the future), using a synchronous Internet connection will give you the bandwidth capacity you need for success.
6) Synchronous Internet connections have fewer delays and are ideal for businesses that use VoIP and cloud-based applications.
As we talked about in our blog post about the importance of improving your network latency, network delays – or when it takes a long time for a large packet of data to be sent across a network – can prove detrimental if your business is using VoIP or cloud-based software programs and applications.
The last thing you want is for your web conferencing software to have delays, your CRM to crash or take forever to load, or your sales team’s VoIP system to act wonky during outbound prospecting calls. Network delays can affect your employees’ productivity, your customer satisfaction, and your business’s growth.
That’s where a synchronous Internet connection can be beneficial for businesses that use VoIP and cloud-based systems. With fewer to hardly any network delays, the tools you’ve invested in will do what they’re supposed to do in a shorter amount of time, with less potential hiccups.
7) Synchronous Internet connections are better designed for growing businesses.
Planning on adding new employees, expanding your company, or even opening a new location in the next few years? Then a synchronous Internet connection could the best choice for you.
Think of what a business needs as it grows: bigger systems (or new systems, period), more cloud-based applications, paperless programs, etc. And not only that, but if you have more people, you’ll have more uploading and downloading of data.
If you’re anticipating having a busier network with more users, more software systems, and more traffic, you’ll need an Internet connection that’s consistent, reliable, and robust.
Synchronous Internet connections can offer you just that.