mpls vs vpn

The take-away is in the last paragraph: http://www.processor.com/editorial/article.asp?article=articles%2Fp2643%2F32p43%2F32p43.asp

Here's a shorter article, but it also has some good advice: http://bandwidth.com/wiki/article/VPN's,_MPLS_or_Frame_Relay

But, whether MPLS helps or not depends on the speeds delivered.  That's a key matter.

So if I get MPLS....will I see improved speeds based on the info I gave above? Also, how will the sites connect to each other? through the ISPs routing or through vpn over mpls which defeats the purpose?

MPLS is the substrate, so-to-speak, of your network. It's not a speed thing necessarily: MPLS is available at different speeds. MPLS is a switching and routed network, similar to what you might have at one of your locations if you have L3 switches. If you need QOS and like, MPLS is a viable option. But as noted above you can still run a VPN over an MPLS connection for added security.

so it wont make a diffeence speed wise? is it easier to manage?

Not necessarily. MPLS runs on all sorts of different mediums. Normally when you have an MPLS setup your telco will manage it for you. If you have to manage it, then no it so not easy -- at least in comparison to setting up site-to-site tunnels like you're doing now. What you gain from MPLS is control, not necessarily speed.

The best place to start is with a local telco. Call them up and ask them what they have to offer.

vpn over mpls doesn't necessarily defeat the purpose because, without speed numbers, one can't compare an internet connection to an mpls connection - at all.  And, I'd want to have a good reason for doing the vpn part because there is a little overhead in the data rate.  Only you can know once you have all the numbers and only you know your security issues.

I didn't understand your comment about having to constantly monitor the VPN connections.  That shouldn't be necessary at all.  Once set up, they should connect and stay connected.  

The international VPN you have is going to limit the speed between those offices and NY and Chicago - no matter what the latter speeds are.  10Mbps isn't much and people are likely complaining if they're doing much in the way of large file transfer.



 

Yea, I have a seperate question for the file transfer issue, heh

https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/27540350/Network-latency-issue.html 

Today when somebody says VPN the mean a encrypted tunnel over the Internet. however that is NOT what at VPN really is.

Technically a MPLS network is a VPN.  VPN means virtual private network.  This term was coined back when companies had leased lines for communications between sites and started replacing them with Frame Relay based connection on a managed network.

To the company it looked like there was a private leased circuit between the two sites.

MPLS is just replacing Frame Relay.

Should you use encryption over a MPLS network?  It depends.  Although the link looks like it is a private link, the service provider can still see the data flowing across it.  If the data is really that sensitive, then it should be encrypted.  Either by doing a encrypted VPN tunnel, encrypting the data stream using SSL/SSH, or encrypting the file.

I believe they are internet based VPN