We recognise that you need to take into account many different factors when deciding on what type of leased line to have installed. Below are a list of questions you frequently ask us - these will be added to and updated on an ongoing basis. Simply click on each question to reveal the corresponding answer.
What is a leased line?
What is a lease line?
Why would I need a leased line?
What speeds are available with a Leased Line from Zen?
How long will a leased line service take to install?
We have fibre at our premises; can this be used for the leased line service?
Can the leased line service be upgraded?
What equipment is needed to connect to the leased line service?
How secure is the leased line service from Zen?
Can I use my existing firewall?
Is it a totally managed solution from Zen?
What Service Level Agreement (SLA) is available on the leased line service?
What level of support is available?
Can we save money with a leased line/ethernet line from Zen?
How are Leased Lines and Ethernet priced?
What does bandwidth contention actually mean?
What is a leased line?
A leased line is a permanent, dedicated high performance telecommunications network connection which can carry voice, data and Internet traffic via a copper or fibre optic connection between a customer site and a Zen Point of Presence (POP). Leased lines are also sometimes referred to as a T1 connection/ T1 line, or an E1 connection/E1 line.
What is a lease line?
A 'lease line' is a common industry mis-spelling for leased line, even by some Internet Service Providers. There are many references to 'lease lines' on Web sites, however it is not a different form of dedicated Internet connectivity to a leased line, they are one in the same thing.
Why would I need a leased line?
Leased lines are used by businesses that need high speed reliable Internet access 24 hours a day, seven days a week giving greater peace of mind. They offer dedicated, uncontended bandwidth ensuring that the maximum line speed is always available when required.
What speeds are available with a Leased Line from Zen?
Our leased lines are available in three products, Access, Ethernet, and Private Line. Access is available at speeds of 2Mbps, EFM (Ethernet in the First Mile) from 1Mbps to 35Mbps, Ethernet from 1Mbps up to 1Gbps, and Private Line solutions from 1Mbps to 1Gbps.
How long will a leased line service take to install?
Our leased lines are available in three products, Access, Ethernet, and Private Line. Access is available at speeds of 2Mbps, EFM (Ethernet in the First Mile) from 1Mbps to 35Mbps, Ethernet from 1Mbps up to 1Gbps, and Private Line solutions from 1Mbps to 1Gbps.
We have fibre at our premises; can this be used for the leased line service?
All quotations assume existing fibre is present and available for use, however, a site survey will still have to be carried out to ascertain whether the correct fibre is present and available for use. This can only be determined following order placement.
Can the leased line service be upgraded?
Yes, but there are some restrictions that need to be considered however. When upgrading from an Access service, a new circuit and CPE may be required. All Ethernet circuits can be upgraded up to the maximum speed of the circuit (10Mbps, 100Mbps, or 1Gbps) subject to increased annual rental charges.
What equipment is needed to connect to the leased line service?
All our Leased Lines and Ethernet services are provided with a fully managed Cisco Router suitable for your service.
How secure is the leased line service from Zen?
A leased line is inherently secure in its own right because it operates as a point to point service. However, if a connection is provided to the Internet additional security services will need to be implemented such as firewalls. We provide a full range of managed security products, more details can be found in the security section.
Can I use my existing firewall?
Yes. Any firewall can be installed behind the CPE to protect the customer network from security breaches; however, Zen will only support Fortinet and WatchGuard devices. For a full Unified Threat Management solution more details can be found in the security section.
Is it a totally managed solution from Zen?
Yes, we offer a fully managed leased line service. This incorporates management of the CPE and monitoring of the leased line circuit. However, we also offer an unmanaged service (wires only) for customers wishing to source and manage their own hardware.
What Service Level Agreement (SLA) is available on the leased line service?
Our Leased Line and Ethernet customers are covered by a 100% SLA. If your service is unavailable at any stage, you are entitled to service credits as compensation.
What level of support is available?
The service is fully supported 24/7 by our BSU team and Network Operations Centre. Any faults reported by customers will receive a response within 1 hour.
Can we save money with a leased line/ethernet line from Zen?
You can actually save a considerable amount of money through vast improvements in performance, reliability and uptime, thereby improving organisational efficiency. This can apply from small companies with few users up to large companies with thousands of users.
How are Leased Lines and Ethernet priced?
With a leased line, you always have access to 100% of your line capacity - this means that if you purchase a 10Mbps leased line, then 100% of the time, 24x7 you get 10Mbps of bandwidth.
What does bandwidth contention actually mean?
With an ADSL broadband service, you share your purchased bandwidth with other network users meaning that your speed can be affected by neighbouring premises downloading files at the same time. A residential ADSL line connected at 24Mbps should always receive at least 2Mbps speed. Any more than this is acceptable for the product.
With a leased line you get a 100% guaranteed 1:1 bandwidth ratio that is dedicated for you to use. This means you do not share a line with anybody else. Your leased line literally runs from your building to our network.
With a leased line, you always have access to 100% of your line capacity - this means that if you purchase a 10Mbps leased line, then 100% of the time, 24x7 you get 10Mbps of bandwidth.
What do I do next?
For further information about a Leased Line or an Ethernet Line solution, and to request a free consultation with one of our sales team call 0845 058 9000 or fill in the enquiry form.