How to Build Broadband Failover Before An Outage Happens

Imagine that your broadband goes down, your mobile phones stop working, your VoIP phone system goes down, your cloud collaboration tools become unreachable and your card payment terminal at the front desk goes dark- what do you do? Although this might be a rare occasion, it does happen and many businesses are left in the dark.

This is why business owners should take broadband failover seriously, to minimise the risks that come with sudden disconnection.

What Is A Broadband Failover?

In the simplest terms, broadband failover is the process in which your primary internet connection fails and the secondary internet connection takes over. Your internet is rerouted to a backup line and it often goes unnoticed. Now that remote and hybrid working models are common, broadband has gone from being the nice-to-have to being essential.

Broadband is the medium through which calls, meetings, files and much more are transmitted. Cloud-based phone systems and VoIP are especially sensitive to this because they rely on the internet for call transmission.

What About the PSTN Switch-Off?

The 2027 PSTN Switch-Off increases the need for an internet fail over plan for businesses because from 1 February 2027, broadband across the UK may become the most important and fundamental part of all business communications infrastructure. Businesses should now be investing in the right broadband provider as it is crucial in ensuring a smooth transition to a strong digital foundation.

What Causes Internet Outages?

Before deciding on a failover framework, it’s important to understand what typically leads to business broadband failures. Likely options include:

Physical Fault in the Infrastructure

Damaged cables or a flooded cabinet; construction workers breaking a cable in the street outside your business.

All Faults on the ISP Side

A congested network, maintenance or broken equipment at the exchange.

Router or Hardware Failures

An old router or faulty modem configuration can sever your connection without the ISP

Power Failure

If your router, along with all of the other networking equipment, goes totally dark without power, it doesn’t matter if the ISP line is still completely unbroken

Cyberattack or DDoS

A cyber attack or DDoS in attack that can lead to equipment failure or an overload connection, interrupting your businesses connectivity.

A well-designed failover setup addresses several of these simultaneously. It provides an independent path to the internet, removes the single point of failure represented by a single line and a single provider and  if combined with appropriate UPS (uninterruptible power supply) hardware, maintains connectivity even through a short power cut.

Key Aspects of a Broadband Failover Configuration

For reliable failover, a separate internet connection should be added. This failsafe must be from another provider and follow a completely different infrastructure. If one connection is a fiber-to-the-cabinet (FTTC), a leased line from another provider or a 4G or 5G network, would work for failover. For most small and medium-sized organisations, the simplest and most affordable option is a 4G or 5G failover router. Mobile network infrastructure is entirely different from that of fixed-line broadband, making failover connections independent.

Importance of Dual-WAN Router

A dual-WAN router is the device that makes failover automatic rather than manual. It monitors the health of both connections simultaneously and when it detects that the primary line has failed, switches traffic to the backup within seconds.

VoIP-Specific Considerations

Most cloud-based VoIP platforms will reconnect automatically once an internet connection is restored, but the quality of the failover connection matters. VoIP calls require relatively low bandwidth but are sensitive to latency and packet loss. Ensure your backup connection prioritises voice traffic and test call quality over the failover line before you need to rely on it.

How to Build Your Failover Strategy

Building broadband failover does not require an IT department or a large budget. The following steps apply to most small and medium businesses:

Analyse Your Current Setup

Identify your ISP and the type of connection you use along with the hardware you have. Check if your router supports dual-WAN.

Choose Your Backup Connection

The optimal and most affordable option for SMEs is a dual SIM 4G or 5G router from a trusted telecommunications provider. Assess the ground and coverage and then decide what will work best.

Purchase a Dual-WAN Router 

If your current router cannot accommodate for dual-WAN inputs, replacing it is the most valuable investment you can make. Routers from known companies can be purchased for just below £100 and business-grade options can be purchased from £300 to £400.

Set Automatic Failover

Work through your router’s administration interface to set the primary and backup connections and define the failover trigger conditions.