WAN Architecture Advisor
Evaluate WAN architectures, technologies, and vendor solutions for enterprise networks
What You Can Do
You can assess WAN architectures against your organization's requirements by comparing technologies like MPLS, SD-WAN, and Direct Internet Access, analyzing vendor solutions, and calculating cost-benefit tradeoffs. The skill produces architecture recommendations, vendor scorecards, and implementation roadmaps aligned with your business objectives, bandwidth needs, and budget constraints.
Features
Evaluate WAN technologies (MPLS, SD-WAN, DIA, hybrid models) side-by-side across reliability, latency, scalability, and cost dimensions.
Score vendors on product capabilities, support quality, pricing models, and strategic roadmap alignment with your network vision.
Calculate total cost of ownership, ROI, and year-over-year savings compared to your current WAN infrastructure.
Develop phased migration strategies that minimize disruption, identify dependencies, and prioritize high-impact locations.
Identify operational, security, and performance risks in each architecture option and provide mitigation strategies.
Compare expected latency, jitter, packet loss, and throughput metrics against application SLA requirements.
Assess encryption, DDoS protection, compliance support, and integration with your security stack for each option.
Design hub-and-spoke, full-mesh, or partial-mesh topologies optimized for your branch count and traffic patterns.
Example Output
Example 1: SD-WAN vs MPLS Comparison
Architecture Evaluation Matrix:
- SD-WAN: Cost/month $X, latency ~30ms, reliability 99.5%, implementation time 8 weeks
- MPLS: Cost/month $Y (45% higher), latency ~20ms, reliability 99.99%, implementation time 16 weeks
Recommendation: SD-WAN for cost efficiency on non-critical traffic; hybrid approach for mission-critical sites
Example 2: Vendor Scorecard
Vendor A (Cisco): 8.2/10 (strong ecosystem, premium pricing, excellent support) Vendor B (Fortinet): 7.8/10 (good value, emerging SD-WAN leader, moderate support) Vendor C (Versa): 7.5/10 (cost-effective, smaller installed base, faster support response)
Example 3: Implementation Roadmap
Phase 1 (Months 1-2): Pilot hub site + 3 branch sites Phase 2 (Months 3-4): Expand to regional hubs Phase 3 (Months 5-6): Full branch rollout (95 locations) Estimated savings: $200K/year, reduced complexity, improved app performance
What's Included
- Architecture Decision Matrix: Weighted scoring framework comparing technologies on reliability, cost, performance, and operational complexity.
- Vendor Evaluation Scorecard: Comprehensive template for rating vendors across product features, pricing, support, and strategic alignment.
- Cost Modeling Workbook: TCO calculator templates for MPLS, SD-WAN, DIA, and hybrid architectures with per-location and enterprise totals.
- Implementation Roadmap Template: Phased migration plan with timeline, resource requirements, risk mitigation steps, and success metrics.
- Risk Assessment Checklist: Operational, security, and performance risk identification with quantified impact and recommended controls.
Who It's For
- Network Architects
- Enterprise Network Managers
- IT Directors and Infrastructure Leaders
- Solutions Architects
- Network Engineers
Best For
- WAN migration planning and vendor selection
- SD-WAN adoption business case development
- Multi-site connectivity architecture redesign
- Cost optimization and network consolidation
- Technology refresh and upgrade roadmapping
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