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Mon, 19 Feb 2024 19:07:22 -0800
Andy from
private IP
/all
On the benefits of Cogent dedicated fiber internet service
Cogent is a great internet service provider. They serve my office with a
symmetric gigabit dedicated fiber optic cable, which I had installed in 2021
when we moved into the new office. The Cogent service uses what is known as a
local loop (from AT&T) that goes up to 10 gigabit in this building, however, I
"only" have 1 gig (lol). Essentially, my traffic goes over the AT&T local loop
for a mile or two to the central office, where Cogent has their equipment and
takes it the rest of the way to wherever it is going. Although the actual cable
to the central office is also where the AT&T customer traffic goes from this
building, I've noticed that I have priority and a ridiculously low, consistent
ping.
The best part about Cogent DIA, as it's known (Dedicated Internet Access), is
that you have (1) a speed guarantee of 1 gig at all times in both directions and
priority traffic over standard IP transit or internet access, (2) full IPv6
connectivity (it's blazing fast), and (3) all ports available with no blocking,
thereby preventing email servers and file servers of whatever type you desire.
You also get a reasonable IP address range for IPv4 and a gigantic range for
IPv6. I love this service offering, which is so good that I dropped my data
center cabinet in 2023 because I can just have my email and web servers in my
I.T. closet at the office. I also get to have a full-fiber LAN in the suite,
which is going to let everyone have access to blinding speeds (everyone except
me currently is on the Wi-Fi that tops out at 500 megabits because I haven't
completed the task of wiring the suite with fiber yet, for cost reasons).
The only downside to Cogent DIA in this scenario is the price, which is fair for
the offering, but substantially higher (2-3x) than what you would pay for AT&T
Fiber in the same building. The key differences and improvements of Cogent make
it worth it to me. In addition to priority traffic, one example is that I plug
my fiber cable directly into my custom-built router/firewall, which has a fiber
transceiver and is heavy duty with redundant power supplies, instead of having
to use an unreliable consumer product that would be the weakest link in a normal
AT&T Fiber installation. Cogent's customer service, installation support, and
other benefits take it to the next level as well.
In conclusion, Cogent DIA is worth the money, and worth the commitment. I'm
coming up on the end of my three-year contract later this year, and I will for
sure be renewing because I am beyond satisfied with the product. Another cool
benefit is that, other than illegal content, I have complete freedom of speech
on Cogent and they are known as defenders of the faith, so to speak. 10/10
highest recommendation.
https://www.cogentco.com/en/solutions/solutions-for-small-medium-business
#LawFirm #Technology
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