Are you looking to purchase SD-WAN from Coeo but want to know what the implementation process will look like so you know what to expect?
Understanding this process will help you be fully prepared for your implementation and give you some peace of mind.
Being fully prepared for when Coeo integrates SD-WAN into your network will help you so you can do whatever you need to do to prepare on your end of the network.
Here at Coeo, we have sold and integrated thousands of SD-WAN networks for customers.
We pride ourselves on being fully transparent with our future and current customers by telling you everything there is to know about all things SD-WAN-related.
Giving you all the information you need on all things Coeo and telecommunications-related will help you make the best decision possible for yourself and your company.
By the end of this article, you will know how Coeo integrates its SD-WAN product into your network. This will allow you to prepare for implementation if you decide Coeo is a good fit for you.
Knowing what you want out of your SD-WAN
Ideally, before even purchasing SD-WAN, you should have a pretty good understanding of your current network and how it is currently set up.
This will help you have a good understanding of what connectivity you already have.
There are a few things you should do to get an understanding of your present-day network. You should ask yourself and your team these questions:
- What security policies are in place?
This is important to keep in mind so you can replicate or get rid of security policies when implementing SD-WAN.
If there are security policies in place that are not needed anymore or if there are security policies that you want to be added, you can change these policies by adding or removing them when implementing SD-WAN.
- What does my network look like by layer?
- Layer 1 - Layer 1 is the physical connection to the network. This layer is how things are plugged in.
Your physical connection may look like just a bundle of cords popping out of various hardware devices but most times there is a science to it.
Making sure you know how your hardware is plugged in is essential when implementing new hardware for your SD-WAN.
- Layer 2- Layer 2 is what is connected on the LAN side. LAN stands for Local Area Network and it is a computer network connecting computers within a limited area.
Making sure you know what is connected to your network within the office is important for security reasons and also to determine what will still be connected to your LAN when turned onto SD-WAN.
- Layer 3- Layer 3 is routing and how your devices are connected to your network. Figuring out the routing side is important and will help you when routing your devices to the newly implemented SD-WAN network.
Figuring out all of these things about your current network is important in helping you determine what you want your network to look like with SD-WAN.
This will help you determine what you will need or will not need to keep from your past network to your future network with SD-WAN.
How Coeo implements SD-WAN into your network
Once you have learned everything about your network, it will be much easier to implement your brand new SD-WAN network.
The first step that happens after an order comes through on our end is a project manager is assigned.
The assigned project manager will reach out to you to review the order and collect any technical details that need to be covered.
Coeo will work with you on how to get from the current network over to the new SD-WAN. Most times there is an intermediate step that brings you from point A to point B if you have an existing network already.
This intermediate step involves weening you from the old network to the new SD-WAN network. You can’t be transferred to the SD-WAN network immediately.
Turning everything off and plugging brand new stuff in would not be ideal since your network would be completely down for all locations involved if you have multiple locations.
This is when your understanding of your network becomes important.
When implementing the SD-WAN, you need to know what to keep and what not to keep as well as how your network is wired so you don’t mess anything up internally to ruin your network.
The best way to explain this intermediate step is through the hub-spoke method. If your company currently has a hub-spoke network model, then the network works through one central point of connectivity.
This model can be thought of as a bicycle tire. The hub in the center of the tire is connected to all of the spokes around the inside of the tire.
The spokes around the hub are everything connected within the network. Turning off all of the spokes at the same time would cause the network to shut down.
The best process to do this would be to turn off each spoke individually from the old network and connect it to the new SD-WAN.
Connecting the new SD-WAN to the old network at the hub site of the old network allows for full connectivity between the old and new during the implementation process.
Once Coeo finishes the transfer from the old network to the new SD-WAN, our team will perform tests for your network to ensure that your network is up and running properly.
Next steps after learning about the implementation process for Coeo’s SD-WAN
Now you have learned the process that happens following the purchase of Coeo’s SD-WAN product.
This will help you be better prepared after purchasing Coeo’s SD-WAN and have the information about your network ready before implementation.
Coeo has sold and implemented thousands of SD-WAN products to customers. We are here to give you full transparency so you know how to prepare in case Coeo is a good fit for your company.
If you would like to speak with our team to learn more about Coeo's SD-WAN implementation process or ask any questions you may have you can schedule an appointment. 
Now you know what to expect from Coeo's SD-WAN implementation process. Check out our SD-WAN Buyer's Guide to learn more about SD-WAN so you can determine if it is a good fit for your organization:
