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Mobility — Mobile Networking

Mobile Auto-Failover — Always-On Connectivity When Primary Links Fail

Auto-failover automatically switches connectivity to a backup cellular or satellite link when the primary WAN connection fails — maintaining business continuity for branch offices, retail locations, field sites, and mobile operations that can't tolerate internet outages.

Overview

What RLM Delivers

Single-link WAN connectivity creates operational risk that few businesses can afford. Cellular failover provides the secondary path that activates within seconds of primary link failure — transparently maintaining VPN tunnels, cloud application access, and critical communications while the primary link is restored. RLM advises on failover architecture, router and gateway selection, and the detection and recovery logic that minimizes failover impact.

Advisory Approach

How We Work

A structured advisory process — from environment assessment and carrier/vendor evaluation to deployment support and ongoing optimization.

1

Failover Requirements Assessment

We assess your failover requirements by site — documenting business processes affected by outages, acceptable downtime thresholds, bandwidth requirements during failover, and the applications that must remain accessible during primary link failure.

Requirements AnalysisDowntime ToleranceApp Criticality
2

Failover Architecture Design

We design the failover architecture — primary/secondary link assignment, detection mechanisms (BFD, keepalives, SLA probes), failover trigger thresholds, and the recovery logic that restores primary link traffic without disrupting active sessions.

Architecture DesignDetection DesignRecovery Logic
3

Router & Gateway Selection

We evaluate failover-capable routers and SD-WAN gateways — Cradlepoint, Digi, Peplink, Cisco, Meraki — against your site types, cellular carrier compatibility, management model, and the remote management capability needed to operate distributed failover infrastructure.

Gateway EvaluationCarrier CompatibilityRemote Management
4

Cellular Carrier Selection for Failover

We select cellular carriers for the failover path based on coverage at each site location — evaluating signal strength, carrier diversity from the primary link, and the data plan structure optimized for standby-mode cellular.

Carrier SelectionCoverage VerificationStandby Plan Design
Evaluation Criteria

What to Look For

The dimensions that separate high-performing mobility deployments from costly ones — and the questions RLM helps you answer before any commitment.

01

Failover Detection Speed

The speed of failover detection determines how long applications experience disruption. Evaluate detection mechanisms and typical failover times under different failure modes — link down vs. degraded performance.

02

BGP & VPN Tunnel Recovery

VPN tunnels and BGP sessions interrupted by failover don't always recover automatically. Evaluate the VPN and routing recovery behavior during and after failover events.

03

Cellular Data Costs During Failover

Failover events that transfer significant data to cellular can create unexpected carrier costs. Evaluate data plan sizing for failover scenarios and whether application traffic should be prioritized or throttled during failover.

04

Multi-Site Failover Management

Organizations with many sites need centralized visibility into failover events. Evaluate the management platform that provides real-time failover alerts, event logging, and the diagnostic tools that accelerate primary link restoration.

05

Failover Testing

Untested failover systems often fail when needed. Evaluate the scheduled failover testing process — simulating primary link failure to validate detection, transition, and recovery behavior before a real outage occurs.

"RLM helped us rationalize our mobile fleet across four carriers and cut our monthly spend by 31%. They handled the whole transition — we didn't lose a single device."

VP of IT — National Logistics Company

"We needed private LTE across 12 distribution centers. RLM mapped the vendors, ran the RFP, and had us live in 90 days. Their knowledge of the carrier landscape is unmatched."

Director of Operations Technology — Retail Distribution Company

Ready to Modernize Your Mobility Strategy?

Talk to an RLM advisor who specializes in enterprise mobility. Vendor-neutral guidance from assessment through deployment.

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