4G backup internet: the outage nobody notices.
You cannot stop the digger in the street. What happens afterwards you can.
Short answer
A 4G backup is a second internet connection over the mobile network, attached to the same firewall as the fixed line. If the fixed connection fails, the firewall switches over by itself and the office keeps working on the mobile connection. When the fixed line is back, it switches back. Jevana installs the router, sets up the switchover and tests it.
What happens in an outage
- 01
The line drops
The firewall checks the fixed connection continuously and notices when no answer comes back.
- 02
Switching over
Traffic goes through the 4G router. Most programs stutter for a moment and carry on.
- 03
Alert
We get a message that the office is on the backup and contact the provider.
- 04
Back again
Once the fixed line has been stable for a while, traffic returns to it by itself.
What works on the backup
| Use | Keeps working | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Email and Microsoft 365 | Yes | No noticeable difference |
| Card payments | Yes | If the card terminal runs over the network |
| Video calls | Yes | Depends on coverage at that spot |
| An online accounting or case system | Yes | This is usually what it is about |
| Sending large files | Slower | We can limit heavy traffic for the time being |
| Services that reach your office from outside | Not by itself | The mobile network gives a different address, and a separate provision covers that |
Tested, not assumed
A backup that has never been tried does not work on the day you need it. The SIM card has expired, the antenna is behind a metal cabinet, or the firewall switches over but not back.
That is why at handover we pull the plug on the fixed line and see what happens. We repeat that at an agreed rhythm. We also measure the mobile coverage at the cabinet's position beforehand, and move the antenna to a window if needed.
Questions
What happens if the business internet line fails?
Without a backup, everything that runs over the internet stops: email, the accounting package, card payments, the calendar. With a 4G backup the mobile connection takes over, usually without staff noticing. The firewall chooses the connection that works. The office carries on until the provider has repaired the fixed line, whether that takes an hour or two days.
Does the connection switch over by itself?
Yes. The firewall tests the fixed line several times a minute by querying a known address on the internet. If the answer stays away, it sends traffic through the 4G router. Nobody has to move a cable or press a button. Switching back is just as automatic, after a waiting period that stops it flipping back and forth.
Is 4G fast enough for a whole office?
For ordinary work, yes: email, online programs, card payments and a video call. It is slower than fibre, and the speed depends on coverage at that spot and how busy the mobile network is. That is why during an outage we limit the heaviest traffic, such as backups and large downloads, so that work comes first.
What does the mobile plan cost when there is no outage?
The backup has a data plan of its own that keeps running, even when it is not used. Because traffic only goes over it during an outage, a modest bundle is usually enough. The cost is part of your monthly amount, and you get no separate bill from a telecom provider. What a day without internet costs the business is, for most offices, many times more.
Goes well with
-
Firewall
A firewall installed, configured and kept up, with rules that someone knows the reason for.
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IT for healthcare
Practices and small care organisations: patient data secured, and a practice that can open when the internet fails.
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Network installation
A business network for a new or refitted building: cabinet, switches, wifi and firewall, drawn and documented.
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Business wifi
Wifi that works in every room, with guests and devices kept apart from the office network.
From the knowledge base
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Moving office: what do you arrange for IT, and when?
Internet has the longest lead time, and the cabling has to go in before the floors close. The order in which to arrange the IT for a move.
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Why is the wifi in the office slow?
The six causes we find most often, from a router in the meter cupboard to too many devices on one access point, and what to do about them.
Tell us what you run.
An introduction costs nothing. You talk straight away to one of the two people who will actually do the work.
or email info@jevana.systems