--- title: "Managed SD-WAN: multiple stores and offices without outages" description: "Managed SD-WAN for multi-site companies: dual links with automatic failover, per-application priority and a single dashboard. No-obligation proposal." language: en url: https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/managed-sd-wan-multi-site-networks/ source: https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/managed-sd-wan-multi-site-networks/ publisher: DataRoad IT (DataRoad - IT Services and Consulting), Portugal --- > Managed SD-WAN for multi-site companies: dual links with automatic failover, per-application priority and a single dashboard. No-obligation proposal. # Managed SD-WAN: multiple stores and offices without outages At a glance For decision-makers short on time. - 01 SD-WAN: two connections per site and automatic failover to the better one. - 02 It pays off from three sites, or when an outage costs sales. - 03 Two loosely dependent offices are well served by a VPN. - 04 Connectivity map of every site in 10 working days; management under IT Unlimited Premium. ### In this article A shop without internet cannot sell, invoice or serve customers. **Managed SD-WAN** removes that scenario: each site gets two connections (fibre and mobile, for example) and a device that switches automatically to whichever is performing better, application by application, with every rule written on a central dashboard. For businesses with three or more sites, centralised billing or cloud software, the result is simple: a carrier failure is no longer news. ## The essentials in four points - **Short definition** At each site, two or more connections used simultaneously, with the best one chosen automatically for each application. - **When it pays** When an outage at a site costs sales or leaves the team idle; as a rule, from three sites. - **When it is not needed** Two loosely dependent offices are well served by a properly built VPN. - **Where the value lies** Dual connectivity, automatic failover and a single dashboard for every site. ## What exactly is SD-WAN? It is the network that links your sites, but controlled by software. The WAN is the connection between headquarters, shops or offices; "software-defined" means the rules are created on a central dashboard and pushed to every device at once. Picture a navigation app that, seeing the motorway at a standstill, puts you on the A-road without you having to pull over. The device installed at each site: - **Combines connections** Fibre, a second fibre from another carrier, 4G/5G. - **Prioritises what matters** Billing and voice over the most stable route; downloads and updates over the other. - **Changes route on its own** If a connection drops or slows down, nobody on site has to touch anything. - **Encrypts between sites** Applies the same security across the network. The phone call "Braga has no system" becomes an entry on the dashboard: "Braga switched connection at 10:14". ## When is a VPN enough, and when does SD-WAN pay off? A site-to-site VPN is an encrypted tunnel, almost always over one connection at each end. It is cheap, it works and it is often the right answer. SD-WAN adds routing intelligence and central management on top. | Question | Site-to-site VPN | Managed SD-WAN | | --- | --- | --- | | How many sites? | Two or three, with few changes | Three or more, or regular expansion | | What if the internet goes down? | The tunnel stays down until someone acts, unless redundancy is in place | Switches to the second connection on its own | | Application priority? | Limited | Billing, voice and cloud first | | How is it managed? | Device by device | One dashboard with templates for all | | Opening a shop? | Manual configuration | Replicate the template | | Is the status known? | When someone complains | Every connection, in real time | **Quick maths:** if one hour of a shop offline is worth more than a year of equipment and a second connection at that site, SD-WAN pays for itself. Run the numbers with the method in [what an hour of downtime is worth](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/cost-of-it-downtime-calculation/). ## What internet redundancy does each site need? At least two independent connections, without them SD-WAN has no alternative. Truly independent means: - **Two carriers**: the same carrier can fail on both fibres at once. - **Two routes**: fibres in the same duct go down together when a digger hits the street; mobile or satellite breaks that dependency. - **Backup power**: without a UPS, a power cut takes everything down. Read [whether your business can withstand a blackout](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/blackout-proof-network-infrastructure-business/). What to ask carriers for, and which connection types exist, is covered in our guide to [fast, redundant business internet](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/business-internet-upload-redundancy-sla/). ## Doesn't linking sites open the door to attacks? It does, without segmentation. That is why every project includes separate networks for tills, office, cameras and guests, and the same firewall policy at every point. We cover this in [one firewall policy for every shop](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/managed-firewalls-multi-site-networks/). Many installed firewalls already come with SD-WAN built in. Activating what exists is often cheaper than buying new equipment for each site. ## Who already has multi-site networks managed by DataRoad? ### Fullest: 16 restaurants, one configuration [Fullest](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/fullest-restaurants-cloud-managed-wifi/) (16 restaurants in Lisbon and Porto, including Adega de São Roque, Bacalhau com Todos and Peixaria do Rossio) entrusted us with its network. Firewall and security, business Wi-Fi, cloud management with the same configuration at every venue, staff and guests on separate networks, and continuous remote monitoring of usage, signal and security settings. ### Boost Portugal: Lisbon, Porto, the Douro and Madrid The contract with [Boost Portugal](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/boost-portugal-redundant-internet-managed-it/), a tourism activities group, includes redundant internet with automatic failover, link aggregation, remote alerts and availability reports. In both cases, nobody on site needs to know anything about networks for operations to stay connected and protected. ## How is it deployed without closing the doors? - **X-ray of each site**: connections, carrier, equipment, critical applications and the cost of downtime. - **Architecture**: second connection, priorities by application, common security policy. - **Pilot site**: billing, voice and cloud tested, including deliberately cutting the main connection. - **Roll-out**: one site at a time, away from peak hours. - **Monitoring**: warning of a degraded connection before it drops, and availability reported per site. ## Questions from decision-makers ### Does SD-WAN replace the VPN? Between sites, yes: the encrypted tunnels are created by SD-WAN, with failover and central management. Remote working is solved differently: we explain how in [secure remote access beyond the VPN](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/secure-remote-access-vpn-managed-firewall/). ### Does every site need two connections? Those that cannot stop, yes. Ideally from different carriers and routes, such as fibre plus mobile. ### Does all the equipment have to be replaced? Rarely. Many recent firewalls already do SD-WAN; only what does not support central management or no longer receives updates is replaced. ### How long does it take? It depends on how many sites you have and how long carriers take to install the second connections. It starts with a pilot and rolls out in phases, without stopping operations. ## Next step: a connectivity map of every site in 10 working days We map the connections, equipment and critical applications at each shop or office, quantify the risk of downtime and deliver the SD-WAN and redundancy design site by site. Management of [managed firewalls and network security](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/managed-firewall-services-portugal/) is included in [IT Unlimited Premium](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/it-unlimited-premium-on-site-support/), with on-site support. Request a no-commitment proposal. **More than 10 workstations · support contract · remote, on-site and phone support.** Call **+351 211 459 950 *** or write to sales@dataroad.pt. **Call to a Portuguese landline.* ## Sources - [Cisco: What is SD-WAN?](https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/learn/topics/networking/what-is-sd-wan.html) Chosen by respected and international companies ★★★★★ 5,0 · 52 Google reviews ★★★★★ 5,0 · 52 Google reviews DataRoad ## Related articles [Networks and cablingBlackout-proof networks: autonomy and redundant internet for SMEsOn 28 April 2025, Lisbon was without power for more than 8 hours. 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