What does combining network links do?
By programming Volant onto a router, it can be connected and configured seamlessly to any network. It then combines multiple internet connections into a single logical channel for increased capacity and redundancy. For example, by subscribing to a 1 GB fibre connection and a 1 GB cable connection, Volant can combine them seamlessly to give your organization 2 GB of available bandwidth.
What if I don’t have access to gigabit internet subscriptions in my area, do I benefit from using Volant?
Yes, you can. Let’s say you’re in a remote or rural area where bandwidth is scare and cellular coverage is weak. In this case, Volant’s integrated solution can be used to transport high speed connections to your location via a series of digital microwave radios, each of which can carry the signal up to 80 km away to the next radio or to your location.
Does Volant require backhaul to the Internet?
No, however the primary purpose of Volant is to provide smooth and reliable internet to the end user. If there is no internet backhaul connection, then it will act as a private network.
Can Volant connect to any type of network connection such as fibre, satellite or microwave?
Yes, Volant can be used with any internet connection. It can combine up to three (3) sources of internet links to give you a combined gigabit speed connection. Volant can therefore be a cost-effective solution for increasing bandwidth, particularly in scenarios where it is not feasible or cost-effective to install high-bandwidth fixed/fibre.
Is there a maximum number of internet connections Volant can bond?
Volant’s capability to bond multiple connections is subject to the coverage of the multiple WAN links. For detailed specifications, our team is ready to provide tailored advice based on your setup.
How does Volant optimize those connections while limiting latency?
Volant optimizes for maximum available bandwidth in two key ways. First, it splits up the data packets being sent from the client into even smaller data packets. This reduces or even eliminates queuing at each hop between the client and the receiver as packets can bypass those protocols, which is a significant source of latency.
Secondly, Volant’s algorithm prioritizes using the full bandwidth available from all internet connections, from the lowest to the highest quality connection. It then transmits the data packets concurrently across those channels, which is how Volant achieves it’s low latency connectivity.
Does Volant need be at both the client and the receiving end to work?
No, Volant does not need to be a set of paired devices in order function. It’s algorithm intelligently analyzes all available network paths to send the data from the source all the way to the receiver and coordinates the data transmission to arrive in the correct order at the receiver’s side without the need for additional computation.
Can Volant guarantee reliable internet in extremely remote areas?
Absolutely. Volant is engineered to extend high-speed connectivity up to 80 kilometers, ensuring even the most isolated terrains are covered. By surpassing the limitations of traditional fibre-optic networks, it provides unparalleled reach.
How does the versatile channel bonding feature of Volant benefit me?
Channel bonding allows Volant to merge various internet sources, such as fibre-optic, broadband, and satellite, to ensure optimal bandwidth utilisation. This means your business can maintain high-speed internet regardless of individual network fluctuations.
Will bad weather affect Volant’s internet delivery?
Volant is robust by design, with the capability to maintain high-performance levels even in adverse weather conditions. The technology accounts for such variables, ensuring consistent service.
Is the installation of Volant a complex process?
On the contrary, Volant is designed for ease of installation on your existing network infrastructure. It requires just a single hardware deployment without the need for paired devices or an intricate setup, which makes integrating Volant into your existing network straightforward.
Can Volant handle the demands of large-scale events with numerous attendees?
Indeed, Volant’s expansive mesh connectivity is ideal for large gatherings, creating a comprehensive network coverage, or a ‘digital dome’, to keep everyone connected.
How does Volant integrate with existing networks, and is it compatible with all network types?
Volant is highly adaptable and designed to seamlessly integrate with a variety of network architectures. It is compatible with all types of internet connections, including fibre, broadband, and satellite, ensuring that regardless of your current setup, Volant can enhance and amplify your connectivity without the need for extensive network modifications.
Does it require a specific brand of hardware?
We have tested the algorithm across any hardware with open ecosystems for us to program and have also updated monthly with patches to improve performance. Currently, the brand that we have tested extensively is Mikrotik routers.
Kindly provide power consumption details; only one type of Mikrotik box or different; and port/interface details.
It is dependent on the hardware augmented with Volant, as follows:
hAPAx3 (up to 950 Mbps speed) :
https://mikrotik.com/product/hap_ax3RB5009UPr+S+IN (up to 2 Gbps speed) : https://mikrotik.com/product/rb5009upr_s_in
CCR2116-12G-4S+ (up to 20 Gbps speed) : https://mikrotik.com/product/ccr2116_12g_4splus
CCR2216-1G-12XS-2XQ (up to 100 Gbps speed) : https://mikrotik.com/product/ccr2216_1g_12xs_2xq
What is the difference between load balancing features and Volant?
Load Balance – When you use apps on your devices, information travels to the internet through network sockets – think of them as pipes. A load balancer works by distributing these sockets across all the Internet connections you are currently using. In this way, load balancing prevents overloading a single connection, thereby increasing overall performance. Load balancing optimizes Internet traffic per socket.
Volant, on the other hand, goes one step further and optimizes traffic into even smaller packets. Following the ‘pipes’ analogy for sockets, we can think of these network packets as the ‘liquid’ that flows through those pipes. Hence making it possible to spread these individual packets across multiple Internet connections. By splitting all your web traffic at the packet level, even large, single-socket transfers, such as VPN (virtual private networks) connections, video streaming, and file transfers, can be given a major bandwidth boost.
Mikrotik can also set all channels to primary, how different is it to Volant?
Yes, however the traffic will still only flow through a single channel until that channel is fully utilised, only then will it fall to the 2nd primary channel. Compared to Volant, Volant uses all channels simultaneously without clogging or congesting a single channel.
Is there an increase in Digital Microwave Radio (DMR) system gain, because range/hop length can increase only when there is increase in system gain?
There is no increase in DMR system gain. Volant is passive. Volant will use whatever performance of the DMR system can deliver. Volant is an active internet channel bonder.
To increase DMR range, without additional power amplifier or big antenna gain, transmission bandwidth can be reduced from max 50MHz (depending on country regulation) to 30MHz to 2MHz. Small transmission bandwidth increases bandwidth transmission power hence increases transmission range.
Small transmission bandwidth will result in decreased data speed. Bonding multiple DMR channels can compensate for the decreased data speed to achieve the desirable data speed. The main objective of using lower transmission bandwidth is to extend transmission range.
Using multiple DMRs with lower transmission bandwidth bonded together to extend the transmission range and achieve the desirable data speed is the low-cost solution using DMR. Volant is the solution for internet channel bonding.
How much is the antenna step down with Volant or without Volant for any Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) link?
Volant is a passive solution and has no control over the DMR link and the antenna. Volant only controls the data flow from and to the DMR. It is recommended that the DMR is configured with the best Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) margin result for transmission stability so that DMR can fully optimise the data transmission performance from the DMR using internet protocol.
The antenna step-down with Volant varies depending on the specific deployment scenario. However, with Volant’s advanced technology, the system is optimised to provide efficient performance even with potential step-down scenarios, ensuring consistent DME link quality.
Is Volant in compliance with telecom industry standards and interoperability?
Volant is fully compliant with prevalent telecom industry standards. Moreover, it has been designed with interoperability in mind, ensuring seamless integration with existing infrastructure and compatibility with a broad range of devices and platforms.
What are Volant’s scaling numbers (system capacity, speed and performance thresholds)?
Current Volant technology is capable of bonding unlimited network channels and bonding speed from accumulated network speed up to 100 Gbps.
How does Volant improve satellite connectivity?
Volant can use both GEO (Geostationary orbit) Satellites and LEO (Low Earth Orbit) Satellites simultaneously. With this, users can experience excellent connectivity with load shaper technology and channel bonding technology among the different orbital satellite backhauls.
Does it work with VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal)?
Yes, Volant can use VSAT as the single internet backhaul or can use VSAT as one of the many internet backhauls.
I am not using DMR, can Volant still work with my network?
Yes, Volant can still work on other transport platforms for example: cellular base stations / antenna, VSAT, Starlink broadband, submarine cables, fiber and etc etc.
Does using Volant require any changes to our current network security protocols?
Volant is designed to be complementary to your existing network infrastructure. It works within your current security protocols, not requiring any significant changes, thereby preserving your network’s integrity.
What are Volant’s cybersecurity features?
Volant incorporates robust security features such as encryption and secure tunnels to safeguard data transmission and ensure the privacy and integrity of user data.
Volant incorporates advanced encryption techniques and a multi-layered security protocol to ensure data integrity and protection against potential cyber threats.
Volant provides enhanced security by splitting data packets and transmitting them across various channels, significantly reducing vulnerability to cyber-attacks, such as man-in-the-middle threats.
How secure are the Mikrotik routers with Volant?
Besides Volant is virtually impervious to man-in-the-middle attacks, the devices are also highly secure and has been hardened with the following security enhancement.
Blacklist any WAN (Wide Area Network) attacker for 1000 minutes.
Block any LAN (Local Area Network) attacker for 30 minutes if the attacker is using Wifi LAN.
All ports closed. Exception on port 22 (ssh), port 443 (https:), port 53 (dns) and port 8291 (can only access via MAC address). All ports require port knocking.
Alpha-numeric-symbol generated username and password access to webserver and ssh, after successfully port knocked.
Port knocking is required for remote device access.
Embedded firewall which blocks all port scanning.
Webserver access using HTTPS, after successful port knocked.
What redundancy and failover mechanisms are integrated into Volant?
Volant incorporates automatic failover mechanisms that ensure continuity of service by seamlessly switching between available network paths in case of a connectivity issue.
Does Volant offer any Quality of Service (QoS) features to prioritise critical data traffic?
Volant comes equipped with QoS features that allow for the prioritisation of critical data traffic, ensuring that essential services receive priority bandwidth allocation.
