What's the Difference Between Shared and Dedicated Bandwidth?

Shared bandwidth

Typically internet plans with “speeds up to” are shared bandwidth plans as you are sharing the same uplink to your ISP that others are. During peak hours you may experience latency as bandwidth is being distributed to many at once. Non-peak hours will give you the best bandwidth as less traffic means faster speed.

Dedicated bandwidth

This provides bandwidth reserved for use by your business only. Your internet speeds won’t fluctuate or be affected by others. You will consistently get the speeds you have chosen.

To determine which type of bandwidth is best for your business, consider these questions:

• Would you consider your business’s internet use light or heavy? Shared bandwidth may work for the light users (few internet-connected devices, email use, the occasional video call, and few large files to download or transfer one location), but dedicated bandwidth is best for heavy users (many internet-connected devices, routinely uses video or uploads large files, supports several cloud-based systems and locations).
• Do you offer Wi-Fi to customers or visitors? If so, a combination of shared and dedicated might be best. The dedicated bandwidth can be reserved for employees and customers can use a shared bandwidth plan.
• What level of network security do you need? Both shared and dedicated bandwidth provide a level of network security, but with dedicated bandwidth’s private connection, it provides greater security.
• Is productivity a concern? Not enough bandwidth can cause frustration for both employees and customers. It can lower productivity and lead to lost revenue. Having a dedicated connection provides greater stability and reliability.
• Are you using a Hosted VoIP solution? Shared networks have steady voice and video traffic that can latency and jitters. A dedicated connection will ensure voice and video are crystal clear.

Whatever you decide, All West can provide the service you need. Contact Phil Marchant or Bryce Gardner today at 877.584.1714 to talk about your internet needs. They’re happy to help!