Backup Internet & Dual-WAN Failover

Backup internet is cheap insurance for any office that cannot work without a connection. The idea is simple: a second line, and a router that knows when to use it.

One internet line is one point of failure

Most businesses pay for a single connection and find out how much they depend on it the first day it fails. Card machines stop, cloud accounting freezes, the IP phones go quiet and the cameras stop sending video to your phone. Usually the fault is at the provider, a cut cable down the road, and nothing you did.

The simple fix: two lines and a router that can switch

The standard answer is a second connection from a different provider, ideally on a different route, and a business router that can use both. When the main line fails the router moves traffic to the second one within seconds, and moves it back when the first line is healthy again. This is called dual-WAN failover. For many offices a second fibre or fixed-wireless line is enough, and a 4G or 5G router makes a good emergency link at a modest price.

The router needs power too. A small UPS on the router, the modem and the switch costs very little and is often the difference between a short blip and an outage during load-shedding.

What about satellite?

People ask us about Starlink and similar services more than anything else on this page. Here is where things stand. Satellite internet licensing in Pakistan has been moving slowly, and when we last checked the big low-orbit providers did not yet hold a full operating licence here. We will not put a terminal on your roof that is not legal to use, and you should be careful about dishes sold online for the same reason.

What we can do today is plan for it. Dual-WAN routers accept a satellite link just like any other, so a site that may add one later does not need to be rebuilt. If you already have a licensed satellite service, for example a VSAT link at a remote site, we install it and wire it into the failover. Ask us for the current position when you call, since it changes.

What we do

Check which providers actually reach your building,
supply and configure a dual-WAN router and the backup link,
set rules, for example video calls and cameras on the main line, everything else on the spare,
test by pulling the main line out while you watch,
put the router and modem on battery backup.

This works well with Wi-Fi and cabling and with IP phone systems, which are the first thing a dead line takes away. Remote sites with cameras should also look at solar CCTV.

Products for this job: dual-WAN routers.

Frequently asked questions

Can you install Starlink?

Not unless it is legal to use at your location. Licensing for satellite internet in Pakistan has been slow, and when we last checked, the main low-orbit providers did not hold a full licence. Call us for the current position, and in the meantime we can prepare your network so a satellite link can be added later.

Is 4G or 5G good enough as a backup?

For email, payments, phones and cameras, yes, if the signal is good where you are. It is rarely fast enough to carry a whole office all day, but it keeps the business running. We check signal before we recommend it.

Will calls and video stay connected when it switches?

Short calls may drop for a few seconds during the switch, then reconnect. We can set the rules so important traffic is first to move. It is a sensible trade for staying online at all.

Do I need two different providers?

Ideally yes, and ideally on different routes. Two lines from the same provider often fail together. We help you pick a pair that is likely to fail at different times.

Satellite & Backup Internet in Rawalpindi