Link Aggregation
Use several links at once, per packet or per flow, so branch capacity is not tied to one circuit.
MPLS replacementSD-WAN
Move Branches Off MPLS Onto Broadband and 4G/5G
Customer problem
MPLS Was Built for a Different Branch
MPLS suited branches whose applications lived in the data centre. Now applications have moved to SaaS and cloud, and business teams expect a new site online in weeks, not months.
Circuits take time to provision, bandwidth upgrades mean a new contract, and each branch router is usually configured by hand.
How can you move off MPLS without losing control of the WAN?
- Premium cost per site
- Slow circuit provisioning in smaller towns
- Poor or expensive wired options at some locations
- Cloud traffic backhauled to the data centre
- Routers configured by hand, site by site
- Dependence on a single carrier
THE COSGRID SOLUTION
One Managed WAN Over Any Link
ReFleX WAN lets each branch use any mix of broadband, 4G/5G, LTE and existing MPLS. ReFleX-Edge appliances connect the links at each site, and Guider manages policy centrally, turning mixed links into one encrypted WAN. Your team defines policy once.
With ReFleX WAN, organisations can
- Use broadband, 4G/5G, LTE and MPLS together
- Bond multiple 4G/5G SIMs where wired links are weak
- Encrypt inter-site traffic over any link
- Manage every branch from one console, Guider
- Move branches off MPLS in phases
How It Works
Review and Choose Links
List each branch, its circuits and applications, then decide which sites move to broadband plus 4G/5G and which keep MPLS for now.
Define Policy Centrally
In Guider, set the overlay topology, application steering rules and security policy once.
Deploy ReFleX-Edge
Ship an appliance to the branch. On site, someone connects power and cables, and it pulls its configuration from Guider.
Run in Parallel, Then Retire MPLS
Keep MPLS active while new links carry traffic, compare link quality on the SLA dashboard, then reduce or end MPLS at each site on your own timeline.
Key Benefits
Cellular Reach
Multi-SIM 4G/5G bonding gives wireless connectivity where wired links are weak or slow to order.
Encrypted Overlay
Inter-site traffic stays encrypted over public internet or cellular links.
Central Management
Policy lives in Guider and is applied across sites, with fewer manual router changes.
Zero-Touch Provisioning
New appliances pull their configuration at first boot, so new branches need less on-site engineering.
Edge Security
Built-in firewall, URL filtering and IPS support local internet breakout.
MPLS vs SD-WAN with ReFleX WAN
MPLS
- One private circuit type per branch
- Capacity upgrades need a contract change
- New circuits can take a long time to deliver
- Cloud traffic often backhauled to the data centre
- Routers configured site by site
- Privacy comes from the carrier's network
- Dependent on one carrier's footprint
SD-WAN with ReFleX WAN
- Any mix of broadband, 4G/5G, LTE and MPLS per branch
- Capacity can be added with another link
- Broadband and cellular are often quicker to order
- Traffic steered per application, including local breakout
- Policy defined once in Guider and pushed to sites
- Privacy comes from an encrypted overlay on any link
- Links from several providers can be combined
Use cases
Built for every branch scenario
Move branches off MPLS in phases
Move branches from MPLS to broadband plus 4G/5G in phases, keeping MPLS at sites that still need it.
Connect many similar stores from one console
Connect many similar stores over local broadband, with cellular as a second path, and manage them from one console.
Get remote sites online over 4G/5G
Bring sites in industrial areas online over 4G/5G where wired links are slow to arrive.
Connect small clinics without dedicated circuits
Connect smaller clinics without a dedicated circuit at each one, while keeping inter-site traffic encrypted.
Who Is This For
Want branches to stay up when a link fails? See "Keep every branch online when a link goes down"
- CIOs
- Network Heads
- Finance Teams
- Branch Operations Teams
- Multi-Branch Organisations
FAQs
Have a question about MPLS replacement with ReFleX WAN?
What is MPLS replacement?
MPLS replacement means moving branch connectivity from private MPLS circuits to other links, such as broadband and 4G/5G, managed by an SD-WAN. The SD-WAN adds encryption, steering and central management on top of those links.
Do we have to remove MPLS completely? No. ReFleX WAN can use MPLS alongside broadband and cellular links. Many organisations keep MPLS at some sites while others move, and reduce it over time.
How much will we save? That depends on your current contracts, the links available at each branch and how many sites move. We do not quote a general savings figure. A branch WAN assessment can compare your current spend with the links you would use.
