It all started a while ago with a log message found on the hub of a large DMVPN/IPSEC deployment over mobile Internet connections. Given the increasing number of deployments that use the Internet as a cheaper, faster WAN for either primary or backup, I thought it would be useful to document the problems and the two main solutions.

In the past couple of years I've had quite a bit of exposure to customers with large WANs in various industries (many non-IT centric) - with xDSL and DMVPN/FlexVPN playing a big role alongside simpler things like fibre based L3VPN and Internet access. I'm going to stay away from SD-anything because they are often vague marketing loaded terms, but that doesn't stop me from asking: what would an improved WAN offering look like? By improved I mean that it solves some of the challenges we're facing today (technical, user experience, cost, deployment etc.) or makes a big impact on customer experience.