[Glossary](https://telxpress.com/glossary/) / Connectivity # Failover **Failover** is the automatic switch to a backup connection, device or route when the primary one fails, so that phones, payments and cloud applications keep working through an internet or equipment outage. - Connectivity - Updated October 11, 2026 - Written by the Telxpress advisory team 01 In depth ## What it is, why it matters and *what to ask a vendor* Failover can happen at several layers: a second internet connection that takes over when the fiber is cut, a cellular backup on the firewall or SD-WAN device, a phone platform that forwards calls to mobile apps when the office is unreachable, a second power supply in a switch, or a second camera recorder. Each layer protects against a different failure. For a growing business the question is what has to keep working: taking calls and payments usually comes first, then access to cloud systems, then everything else. Failover is also cheaper than it sounds, because the backup can be slower and used only in emergencies, and because cloud phone systems already fail over to mobile apps if configured. Ask how long failover takes and whether calls in progress survive, what bandwidth the backup provides and what it costs when used, how you are alerted when a failover happens, and how often it is tested. Ask your phone provider what callers hear during an outage. An untested failover is a hope, not a plan. 02 Related terms ## Terms that usually come up *alongside it* - Connectivity ### [SD-WAN](https://telxpress.com/glossary/sd-wan/) SD-WAN (software-defined wide area network) is a service that combines two or more internet connections at a site, steers each application over the best path and fails over automatically when one connection degrades. - Connectivity ### [Fixed wireless](https://telxpress.com/glossary/fixed-wireless/) Fixed wireless is business internet delivered by a radio link between an antenna on your building and a nearby tower or base station, used where fiber is unavailable or as an independent backup connection. - Connectivity ### [Dedicated internet access](https://telxpress.com/glossary/dedicated-internet-access/) Dedicated internet access (DIA) is a business internet service whose full bandwidth is reserved for one customer, with a service-level agreement for uptime, latency and repair time, unlike shared broadband. - Phones ### [Cloud phone system](https://telxpress.com/glossary/cloud-phone-system/) A cloud phone system is a business phone service hosted by a provider and delivered over the internet, so phones, apps and features are managed through a web portal rather than hardware in your office. 03 At Telxpress ## Where this shows up *at Telxpress* The pages and articles where this term does real work: what we advise, build and support. - Page ### [Business Internet, Fiber, SD-WAN & Wi-Fi](https://telxpress.com/solutions/business-technology/connectivity/) Business internet, fiber, SD-WAN, Wi-Fi and carrier services for Orange County offices, selected and managed by one local partner with 24/7 support. - Page ### [Business Networking, Firewalls & Managed Wi-Fi](https://telxpress.com/solutions/business-technology/networking/) Switching, routing, Fortinet firewalls, Ubiquiti and Cisco Meraki Wi-Fi and managed network services for offices that depend on reliable connections. - Article ### [Boost Your VoIP Reliability: How SD-WAN Keeps Calls Clear](https://telxpress.com/insights/boost-your-voip-reliability-how-sd-wan-transforms-communication/) How SD-WAN keeps business phone calls clear by steering voice over the healthiest connection, prioritizing it and failing over automatically, and when a simpler setup is enough. Next step ## Want This Applied *to Your Business?* Book a free 30-minute AI readiness consultation. You'll leave with three AI opportunities specific to your business, whether you work with us or not. [Book My Free Consultation](https://telxpress.com/book/) [Take the Free AI Readiness Assessment](https://telxpress.com/ai-readiness/) [Or call 24/7: (949) 861-4500](tel:+19498614500) Last reviewed: October 11, 2026. Published by Telxpress, Irvine, CA.