It’s tempting to start an MPLS to SD-WAN project with the technology. A smoother migration starts somewhere else: with a clear picture of what the network has to support today. Before you compare vendors or sign anything, check these five things.
Which applications really matter, and where they live
MPLS was built for a world where most applications ran in your own data centre. Today, many of your most important tools are cloud services, such as Microsoft 365, your CRM or your contact centre platform.
List your top applications and note where each one is hosted, who uses it and what happens to the business if it slows down. That list decides how SD-WAN should route traffic, which applications get priority and whether some branches can go straight to the internet instead of back through head office.
What each site needs
Not every location is the same. A head office, a call centre, a warehouse and a two-person branch all have different needs. For each site, check:
How many people work there, and what they do
Whether voice or video calls run over the network
What happens if the connection goes down for an hour
Whether there is a local IT person, or nobody on site at all
This tells you which sites need two connections for backup, which can run on a single link, and where a 4G or 5G backup makes sense.
The internet links you’ll depend on
SD-WAN gets much of its value from using ordinary internet connections alongside, or instead of, private circuits. That only works if those connections are good enough.
Check what is available at each address, the upload speed as well as the download speed, and whether you can get two connections from two different providers. Two links that run through the same cable or the same building entrance won’t protect you if that cable or entrance is damaged.
How security will work once traffic leaves the private network
With MPLS, much of your traffic stays on a private network and passes through a central firewall. With SD-WAN, branches often send traffic straight to the internet. That’s usually faster for cloud applications, but it moves where security has to happen.
Decide early whether security will sit in each branch device, in a cloud security service, or both. This is where SD-WAN connects to SASE, which combines networking and security in the cloud. Leaving security until after the network design can mean redesigning part of the network.
Your current contracts and timelines
MPLS contracts often run for several years and can carry early termination fees. Before you plan a cutover, check:
When each circuit’s contract ends
What it costs to cancel early
How much notice your provider needs
A well-timed migration moves sites as their contracts end, rather than paying for two networks at once for longer than necessary.
The bottom line
SD-WAN can make your network faster, more flexible and less expensive to run, but only when the design starts from your applications, your sites and your business priorities. Those five checks are the foundation of a good migration roadmap.
SFA Systems offers vendor-neutral IT assessments and digital transformation roadmaps, including MPLS to SD-WAN and SASE planning. Book a consultation