Mobile Networks

Successfully Deploying
3G and 4G Mobile Access
for Organizational Networks
White Paper – 3G+4G Mobile Deployments

Table of Contents

1. Executive Summary........................................................................................................................ 3

2. Planning and Expectations............................................................................................................. 3

3. Format Choice: Ethernet or USB? .................................................................................................. 4

4. Consolidating with a Link Balancer ............................................................................................... 5

5. Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 6

©2011 Elfiq Networks 2 www.elfiq.com

White Paper – 3G+4G Mobile Deployments

1. Executive Summary

The need for constant Internet or private network connectivity over the past
four years has exploded, where businesses now calculate a direct hard
financial loss associated with downtime. Redundancy plans and products
such as link balancers can bring uptime to a new level, but last mile strategic
points of failure can undermine current ISPs. Too many times has
underground cabling been damaged or severed, taking down connectivity
providers all at once. The real business risk associated with such events is
the downtime associated with critical business services such as email,
resulting in lost revenue and productivity.

With the recent emergence and massive availability of mobile 3G networks and now 4G networks,
new options are available to organizations looking to achieve 99.999% connectivity and eliminate
downtime altogether, even when all wired services are unavailable. Elfiq customers currently use this
type of technology as an alternative to wired ISPs in basic failover for the office, or even alongside
other wireless solutions in emergency vehicles being deployed in response to events requiring
telecom coordination.

2. Planning and Expectations

Mobile networks can be a strategic lifeline, but proper planning must take place to ensure
success in such projects. First, organizations need to understand the following challenges
related to mobile wireless networks:
- The number of concurrent users connected to a mobile tower will directly
affect throughput.
- The distance from the mobile tower will affect throughput as well, the closer
to the tower the better the signal will be.
- Location within a building will directly impact the capacity to receive a signal.
- Less bandwidth is available than with wired ISPs, and latency can be an
issue.

To measure the capacity and quality of mobile connectivity, it is best to analyze them with
a smartphone such as an iPhone, a Blackberry or an Android-based unit. This way,
expectations can be set and a proper location to set up the mobile link modem can be
identified.

Once testing is done, the networking team should assess which top priority services should be
allowed to access the mobile bandwidth when it needs to be used. The objective of this exercise is to
prevent mobile link saturation in a contingency situation. Access to non-critical or undesirable online
services will need to be blocked or limited, as bandwidth could be a fraction of what is normally
available if the project is to provide a failover, or to define how much bandwidth should be
forecasted for vehicle-based deployments.

Cost versus usage will play a critical role on such projects, as most mobile carriers will offer plans
which will be usage-based from an accounting perspective. Unlimited download plans are very
desirable, but not every region has one or more carriers which offer this type of plan.

©2011 Elfiq Networks 3 www.elfiq.com

White Paper – 3G+4G Mobile Deployments

Lastly, selecting the right IP addressing options is critical for such projects. Common scenarios
include:
1- Dynamic IP addressing: When planning to give internal users access to the Internet
using Outbound balancing, mobile links with dynamic IP addresses are perfectly
acceptable.
2- Static IP addressing: When Internet-facing services are critical and need to be reachable
using Inbound balancing over mobile links, each of the links needs to have its own static
IP address(es) based on the project at hand. Otherwise, these services will not be
available.

3. Format Choice: Ethernet or USB?

Carriers and hardware suppliers will offer 3G/4G modems with two connectivity formats: USB mobile
sticks and Ethernet. Both formats have their advantages and disadvantages, which organizations
need to weigh before making a decision, and the elements in section 2 of this document will provide
some insight into making the best decision. The following table outlines key items to consider:

Item USB Mobile Sticks Ethernet Models

Cost Typically low-cost, or will be included Typically sold separately, costs

in a package offered by the carrier.
Some models are available for
aftermarket purchase and may have
additional options.
in North America will typically
vary from $125 to $600 based
on features, construction
(metal or plastic) and
environmental shielding.

Connector reliability USB devices have no locking
mechanisms, so a modem can be
inadvertently disconnected. They are
also easily stolen if the equipment is
not in a secure area.
RJ45 connectors used with
these devices have an auto-
locking tab which prevents
accidental removal of the cable
once in place.

Signal reception Most USB devices come “as-is” with no The modem can be more easily
option to add an additional antenna to located to another room or
boost reception. A USB extender cable location such as in a ceiling to
may be used to compensate, but improve reception. The length
length will be limited based on the limitation is now the Ethernet
USB 2.0 standard. USB mobile sticks specification limitation.
with the optional antenna that can be
attached to extend signal reception
should be preferred.
Power requirements If one or two USB modems are used, The unit will require electrical
there should be no issue connecting connectivity.
them directly to the bandwidth
management unit USB ports. If three
or more are to be used, a USB hub
with its own power supply is
mandatory.

©2011 Elfiq Networks 4 www.elfiq.com

White Paper – 3G+4G Mobile Deployments

4. Consolidating with a Link Balancer

Link balancers such as Elfiq Networks’ LB series are very efficient at delivering this capability without
reengineering the network. These devices are designed to manage multiple concurrent disparate
ISPs to offer a new level of business continuity. Adding a mobile link modem to Elfiq Link Balancers
is as simple as adding any other additional carrier supported in the configuration; this significantly
simplifies deployments.

A common project would look like this network diagram:

A key advantage of link balancers is that they are policy-based, not route-based. Therefore, policies
can be used to define actions based on current carrier availability, so in the above diagram, should
ISPs A and B be unreachable, the Elfiq Link Balancer will utilize the 3G and 4G links to guarantee
connectivity.

Additionally, Elfiq’s Intelligent Condition Verificator feature available on all models

from the LB-550E and above will enable the network administrator to use condition-
based balancing, With this feature, the Elfiq unit can be configured to load an
alternate configuration once a condition is met (such as two wired carriers are
unreachable).

The alternate configuration will use the mobile links, changing key parameters and
allowing certain usage through access control lists and quality of service (QoS)
limitations, thus ensuring optimal usage of available bandwidth. Counters are also
included in this feature, so the total amount of data transferred can be considered
when making financial decisions or configurations.

©2011 Elfiq Networks 5 www.elfiq.com

White Paper – 3G+4G Mobile Deployments

5. Conclusion

Mobile carriers’ 3G and 4G links have evolved to a point where organizations can now depend on
them for key projects and services. The key is to define needs and expectations for such projects and
deploy appliances with a link balancer to enforce policies and deliver maximum results and constant
uptime, reaching the goal of 99.999% connectivity.

For more information about Elfiq Networks’ products and features in regards to using mobile carrier
links, please visit: http://www.elfiq.com/3g-4g-mobile.

©2011 Elfiq Networks 6 www.elfiq.com

White Paper – 3G+4G Mobile Deployments

Produced by Elfiq Networks

Elfiq Networks is a technology leader and innovator in the field of WAN link management and
balancing. With thousands of successful installations in over 93 countries, Elfiq’s Link Balancer
products help organizations of any type and size perform more competitively every day with the
ability to use multiple Internet and private links easily and securely.

For more information on Elfiq Networks’ products and technologies, please contact:

Elfiq Networks
1155 University, #712
Montreal, Quebec, H3A 3A7
Canada
Telephone: 888-GO-ELFIQ / 514-667-0611
Internet: www.elfiq.com
Email: info@elfiq.com

March 2011

© Copyright 2011, Elfiq Networks (Elfiq Inc.). The contents of this document are protected by copyright. Any modification of this document, in any shape or
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©2011 Elfiq Networks 7 www.elfiq.com