Last updated on September 1st, 2023 at 05:05 pm
The Complete Guide to Simple Helix’s Connectivity Services
Direct Internet Access is a way of connecting your office and colocated devices to the internet. It’s an internet connection that is completely dedicated to your business. Whether you have a complicated WAN or a single site, DIA can connect you to the world with no stops in between.
Depending on the type of DIA connectivity you have, you can get high speeds for any type of communication. High-quality DIA can be a good solution for high-volume emails, Zoom calls, or instant messaging services like Slack. With a properly configured firewall and/or VPN, you can keep those communications secure.
DIA connectivity often makes sense for businesses that need constant cloud access or do frequent video and webinar streaming. This connectivity option gives you plenty of speed and capacity, especially when compared to shared solutions like broadband. The speed does not vary much, and your team members can easily transfer and share large files.
Many small and medium-sized businesses turn to DIA as an alternative to leased lines. Compared to leased lines, DIA is more cost-effective, provides greater bandwidth, and offers more flexibility. This solution eliminates middlemen like telecom carriers and ISPs. As a bonus, the installation is often easier.
Not all DIAs are the same. There are different speeds and qualities that affect performance — fiber DIA will be very different from coax DIA, for instance. Figuring out what kind of DIA will work best for your business is often complicated and time-consuming.
If you want to set up a high-quality DIA solution for your business, let Simple Helix take that burden off your shoulders. We will shop all the carriers and find you the best performance at the best price.
Point to Point (P2P) Connectivity Services
Point to Point connectivity services let you connect your office to the data center and your satellite office. When you set up a P2P connection, you get a permanent direct communication link between two parties.
P2P connectivity gives you high bandwidth, high security, and low latency. The data on these connections doesn’t travel on the public internet, which is more vulnerable to hackers and cyberattacks. Some businesses may not need as much data encryption when using a P2P connection, although that depends on the industry. Government contractors, finance companies, and other companies with sensitive data will still need encryption.
Many companies use P2P connections for secure cloud and data center connections and for protecting data in transit to a disaster recovery backup solution. Other corporations use it for supporting applications that need to perform consistent, glitch-free streaming, or to ensure their WAN (wide area network) is up and running at all times. It’s a good option for high bandwidth and low latency between multiple locations.
Whether you need a virtual P2P connection that may traverse a number of physical “hops”, or the security of a dark fiber with no routing or switching, Simple Helix has the P2P solution you need. You can stay “on-net” with your collocated or virtual environment and create a secure, efficient WAN.
Cross-Connect Connectivity Services
Cross-connect services let you physically connect your colocated servers to internet carriers, virtual environments, or other businesses. They can help you use a broad range of network assets with reduced latency and better performance.
Cross-connections are pieces of hardware that connect separate units of the facilities in a data center, like a physical cable running between servers. They are maintained by data centers. Typically, cross-connect lines run in an overhead cable tray above the colocation racks to the data center’s Meet Me Room. You can think of them as a direct point-to-point connection between hardware assets in a data center.
Cross-connect services are reliable, fast, secure, and not susceptible to congestion issues. In some cases, they may be cheaper than conventional telecom networks from bandwidth providers.
Since our data center has a broad range of carriers and other customers, cross-connections are simple and convenient. You can save money since the connections are short-distance within the same facility.
Keep in mind that you do not have to choose just one of these business connectivity services! Our team can help you combine solutions as needed to meet your specific business needs.
Why Choose Simple Helix for Connectivity?
Simple Helix offers safe, quick, and resilient connectivity services to help you gain back time for the work that matters. We have a locally owned and operated data center that provides mission-specific connectivity services for organizations in the government contracting, technology R&D, healthcare, and manufacturing industries.
Our organization has been providing IT services for over 15 years. We work with you to provide options that meet all of your connectivity needs.’
Our Data Center
Located in Huntsville, AL, our data center facility is built to a tier 3 standard. It is disaster-resistant and protected 24/7 by armed security guards, with 7 more layers of security required to reach our multi-factor, biometric turnstile into the data center.
We house an array of machinery to keep us up and running when the power fails. This machinery includes multiple utility feeds, UPS, diesel generators, and robust data replication grids. All together, we have days of backup power to ensure our technicians have time to fix the problem before a complete shutdown.
Our data center houses multiple carriers, giving you multiple paths to the internet with redundancy and minimal downtime. We know you can’t afford to experience downtime, so our staff offers technical and logistical support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Our facility features 2N + 1 power redundancy, 2N + 1 cooling plant redundancy, and a K4 rated security fence. We have a Network Operations Center (NOC) that acts as a central hub for monitoring infrastructure. You can find more specs and a tour of our data center on our facility page.
When you have Simple Helix keeping your team connected, you can focus on the work you care about most. For more information, talk to our team today.
