What is Leased Line vis-à-vis Internet Leased Line?

To be precise, a Leased Line is a dedicated, symmetric data connection, while dedicated means that all along the route of your Leased line, the bandwidth is reserved exclusively for your use. Also, contrasting with consumer internet connection, the bandwidth obtainable does not tend to fall (at peak hours) when others of the same ISP try to use their connections at the same time as you do. As for symmetric it means that they can upload data at the same high speed at which they can download data. An Internet leased line is also a dedicated premium Internet connection, mostly delivered over fiber, which provides un-contended, symmetrical speeds with full duplex. It is also known as an Ethernet leased line, Data Circuit or Private Line. However, ISPs that provide Internet Leased lines generally provide them with the following features.

. Latency commitment

· Packet loss less than 1%

· Unified threat management | Firewall | IPS | VPN

· Web and application filtering | Bandwidth management

· Multiple link management | Anti-malware/ Anti-spam

· Link up time and traffic | Policy management | Device health

· Anti-virus/ Anti-spam/ IPS | Trouble ticket and SLA compliance

· Multiple last mile options

· Ring protection

Users/ Cost and Quality

More often than not, leased lines are used by businesses to connect geographically distant offices. As against dial-up connections, a leased line is always active. The fee for the connection is a fixed monthly rate. The primary factors affecting the monthly fee are distance between end points and the speed of the circuit. Because the connection does not carry anybody else’s communications, the carrier ensures a given level of quality.

Difference Between Broadband and Leased Line

Even though both broadband and Leased Line provides Internet Access in return of a fixed subscription cost, they differ a lot as is revealed below.

A Leased Line is invariably a dedicated connection between your site and the local exchange. It fixed bandwidth, providing the same upload and download speeds, while not being subjected to contention with other users.

Broadband, on the other hand, is not a dedicated connection between your site and the local exchange. Also, it is variable bandwidth and asymmetric (faster downloads as compared to uploads), while being subject to contention with other users.

Salient features of a Leased Line

• Security: A Leased Line is commonly defined as a dedicated line in the sense that it is dedicated or committed to two locations it connects. However, since data and information are transmitted between the locations sans the use of Internet, it makes the connection secure, remaining safe from hackers.

• Reliability: If your business needs a reliable connection to the web that is both consistent and ‘uncontended’ at all times, can you depend on run-of-the-mill DSL broadband? If you feel hesitant, you should go in for a Leased Line which is a dedicated line with no contention from other businesses or persons.

• Superior Support: A Leased Line invariably carries a Service Level Agreement (SLA), guaranteeing that all connectivity issues are resolved ASAP. As a matter of fact, the provider’s Network Operations Center monitors their connections 7 x 24 x 365, thus ensuring prompt action whenever a problem arises.

• Faster Upload and Download Speeds: A dedicated Leased Line provides bandwidth transmission speeds varying between 10 Mbps and 10 Gbps both upstream and downstream, known as synchronous connection, thus reducing your hassle to bare minimum.

Moreover, as against Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) or cable modem Internet connection, you are able to control how the bandwidth is distributed on a dedicated line, since you are the only locations using the line. As a result, larger files get the bandwidth they need to travel quickly from one location to another.