Internet for Business use (Server in Europe)

[lanstroem]

We are working towards a server located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. And are currently looking for a more stable internet connection for our office.
We got recommended to use a UIH link quote: (5M/1Mbps should be enough. If you work with this server you need UIH link or similar service.)

Then we have these 3BB business use 30/3mbit, Im aware of that 30mb is only domestic, but it still measures up to 6-10mbit towards Amsterdam service (checked from my home)

Which connection is preferable?
All inputs, tips are welcome.

Around 10-15 people are using the internet constantly.

[Forkinhades]

All ISPs Will offer an international package, which of course you will pay higher for, which may be better for your needs.

[RichCor]

I'm not sure this can be properly evaluated here on this board without giving way too much information about your company and its operations.

But there are MANY methods you can utilize to create a working or workable connection to services and servers from Thailand to Amsterdam. Many will utilize a Public Internet High-Speed Consumer-grade or Business-grade connection with VPN, while others may include the dedicated features of an IPLC (International Private Leased Circuit).

What gets proposed really depends on

where the staff is located

where the 'data' is located

how much 'data traffic' is involved

how often that 'data' needs to be refreshed (can the data be 'mirrored' or does it need to be accessed 'live' and kept refreshed)

can your Thailand business put up with potential link failures using consumer-grade non-24/7 guaranteed Internet Service

do the staff need to communicate with customers, where are the customers located

Can you start off with a consumer-grade 3BB type connection using a VPN Tunnel, then if it bogs down switch to a Private Dedicated Leased Circuit? (Leased circuits are EXPENSIVE!!)

Edited March 25, 2015 by RichCor

[lanstroem]

Basically we are constantly working towards the server in Amsterdam, its the backoffice which contains all data, live, refreshed. Like a backoffice for your reservations, customer is not handled by us directly.
Data is quite small but every update you make in the reservation system needs to be fast.

Edited March 25, 2015 by lanstroem

[lanstroem]

would a VPN account with VPN router be efficient to use?

[RichCor]

would a VPN account with VPN router be efficient to use?

You wouldn't be using a VPN service, per se, but a pair of hardware based direct Point-to-Point VPN Routers directly connected to the Server in Amsterdam and the LAN in your Thailand office(s)**. (** can also be point-to-multipoint if you have several 'offices' in Thailand)

If you are a business with 'mission critical' data access requirements then you should invest in a setup that give you:

Guaranteed Uptime, 24/7 Support and Assistance

Either business-grade Internet connection with dedicated VPN routers at both ends, or

a Dedicated International Private Leased Circuit

If the amount of DATA traversing the 'tunnel' between Amsterdam and Thailand ever becomes an issue you could set up "Mirrored Servers" where a Server is placed in your Thailand office, your Thailand-based staff are pulling and pushing live data from the local in-office *Amsterdam Mirrored Server* and any changes they make are immediately made on the actual Amsterdam Server (only the 'changes' are traversing the tunnel between Thailand and Amsterdam).

There are LOTS of options and potential solutions.

Some are shoestring while others depend on deeper pockets to make capital investment in equipment and services.

[shariq607]

We are working towards a server located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. And are currently looking for a more stable internet connection for our office.

We got recommended to use a UIH link quote: (5M/1Mbps should be enough. If you work with this server you need UIH link or similar service.)

Then we have these 3BB business use 30/3mbit, Im aware of that 30mb is only domestic, but it still measures up to 6-10mbit towards Amsterdam service (checked from my home)

Which connection is preferable?

All inputs, tips are welcome.

Around 10-15 people are using the internet constantly.

Get an Isp in Amsterdam that has direct/indirect peering with one of the ISPs in Thailand.

[innerspace]

I have previously used leased lines with speeds around 2MB and costs between 10-20k per month.

For anyone who thinks speed=bandwidth this is slow.

But bandwidth is not speed, it is simultaneous capacity and rarely needed for standard business use.

Speed is latency and that is what you get with a leased line, along with stability that survives the school kids home surge every day.

Consumer grade fibre lines are improving, sure, but if you need business critical connections go for business quality lines.

[NeverSure]

In this case I'd be just as concerned with upload speed as down.

I can't tell what you're designing. Will you have a replicating server and if so where? If you want 100% uptime maybe the second shouldn't be in Amsterdam, but maybe even in Thailand?

Is this a domain controller or a file server or a public server or a combination? If it's a domain controller I'd want one replicating in my home country so it could be instantly promoted to the authoritative server if the other went down or you lost international connection. One of the reasons we set up in different countries was to protect against local disasters and long outages. Companies that need 100% up set up in 3 or 4 countries, automatically promote and replicate.

1Mbps is 1 megabit per second which is 1/8 of 1MBps or 1 megabyte per second. That's not much.

Edit: I just saw Innerspace's post. He's talking about 16x what you are, and little latency. He said 2MB which is 16x 1 Mb. (Small "b" = bit.)

Edited March 25, 2015 by NeverSure

[RichCor]

Posted Yesterday, 20:15

We are working towards a server located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. And are currently looking for a more stable internet connection for our office.

[...]

Is there a reason/purpose that you have/want a server hosted in Amsterdam and not, say, Singapore?

What's the purpose of the server? Who will be accessing it?

[RichCor]

We are working towards a server located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. And are currently looking for a more stable internet connection for our office.

We got recommended to use a UIH link quote: (5M/1Mbps should be enough. If you work with this server you need UIH link or similar service.)

Then we have these 3BB business use 30/3mbit, Im aware of that 30mb is only domestic, but it still measures up to 6-10mbit towards Amsterdam service (checked from my home)

Which connection is preferable?

All inputs, tips are welcome.

Around 10-15 people are using the internet constantly.

Get an Isp in Amsterdam that has direct/indirect peering with one of the ISPs in Thailand.

YES. If you are bound and determined to have your server hosted abroad, make sure that your International Internet connection will be as quick as possible. Verify the ISP has direct peering with the International Internet Gateway your Thailand ISP uses. Test it.

With my TOT Fiber connection, I can get 8mbps to San Jose, Ca USA (home of Google), but if the ISP I'm trying to reach in the next city doesn't have a direct 'peering' with the International Internet Gateway that TOT uses then the throughput drops to under 1mbps.

[shariq607]

Using my premium/business line which has a private static ip, this is what i get to Amsterdam

[lanstroem]

Posted Yesterday, 20:15

We are working towards a server located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. And are currently looking for a more stable internet connection for our office.

[...]

Is there a reason/purpose that you have/want a server hosted in Amsterdam and not, say, Singapore?

What's the purpose of the server? Who will be accessing it?

Customers are based in Netherlands, France, Germany.

[IMHO]

Softlayer (IBM) have DC's in Amsterdam, and have Singapore VPN POP - so your internet only needs to get you to Singapore - from there you're flying to Amsterdam over their own dedicated 10gbps private network.