FusionHub and Balance Comparison

The objective of this article is to clarify the differences between the Balance router and FusionHub.

Summary

Balance Router: The Balance router is a physical machine, capable of bonding multiple WAN connections to form a SpeedFusion tunnel. Use the Balance when you need to bond multiple WAN connections and when you need a physical router.

FusionHub: FusionHub is an appliance you can install on virtual machines. Any physical or cloud server with FusionHub installed will be capable of building SpeedFusion connections with Peplink devices (including the Balance). Use FusionHub when you need to connect to private and public cloud servers. FusionHub is also useful when you need to use existing hardware.

Comparison

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Deployments

FusionHub Deployment: High Speed Connection to Remote Cloud

In this deployment, the SME has one office. They run their daily operations on several cloud-based apps (e.g. SAP, Salesforce, Office 365) delivered from a remote cloud service. With FusionHub installed on their remote cloud, they can connect to their apps using all three of their available DSL links, rather than just one. This deployment requires FusionHub because they need to connect to a cloud server.

Balance Deployment: High Speed Site-to-site VPN connection

 

This organization has three offices located in different cities. Each office is equipped with a Balance router, and are able to form SpeedFusion connections with each other. The Balance is ideal for this deployment because all three sites need to bond multiple WAN connections.

In addition, the Balance comes with enterprise features such as AP controller functionality and Internet link load balancing. This allows one machine to perform multiple networking functions.

FusionHub Deployment: High-Speed Connection at Head Office

This organization already has a high-speed Internet connection as well as a server at their head office. FusionHub is suitable for this organization because their head office already has existing hardware, and does not need to bond multiple WAN connections.

Machines from each branch office will be able to connect to the head office as if they were local machines. In addition, machines from branch offices could also connect to the Internet through the high-speed connection at their head office.

FusionHub Deployment: MSP Multi-Organization Provisioning

In this deployment, an MSP needs to use their resources to provide each client organization with their own SpeedFusion-enabled cloud server, each invisible to the other. This can be accomplished by installing multiple FusionHubs into the MSP servers, provisioning one for each client organization. FusionHub is necessary because it allows the MSP to install multiple isolated SpeedFusion servers on a single hypervisor.

Each organization will be also able to use bonded bandwidth to access the high-speed internet through the MSP server, providing additional revenue opportunities.

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