1.3 Identifying Site Requirements and Solutions
1.3.4 Telecommuter-site considerations
As WAN technologies improve, allowing many employees to do their jobs remotely, the number of telecommuter and small company sites has exploded. Like the corporate and branch offices, the telecommuter site must determine its WAN solution by weighing cost and bandwidth requirements.

An asynchronous dialup solution using the existing telephony network and an analog modem is often the solution for telecommuters because it is easy to set up and the telephone facilities are already installed. As usage and bandwidth requirements increase, other remote-access technologies should be considered.

The nonstationary characteristics of a mobile user make an asynchronous dialup connection the remote solution. Employees on the road can use their PCs with modems and the existing telephone network to connect to the company.

Typical WAN connections employed at telecommuter sites are as follows:

  • Asynchronous dialup
  • ISDN BRI
  • Frame Relay (if the user utilizes the link for an extended time, such as half a day)
  • Cable modems
  • xDSL

Typical considerations for a telecommuter site WAN connection include cost, authentication, and availability.