Should I buy a Cisco Pix 501 and a 605 E, or two 501s? What are the differences?
I need to connect a remote branch to our main system using DSL. I've been recommended a Cisco Pix 605 E for the main office, and a Cisco Pix 501 for the branch.
The main office consists of a single Windows 2000 Server with Appox.
30 -35 local clients with 15 - 20 networked printers. I'm told the networked printers count for an IP address. Some of the printers are connected to a network device that handles 3 printers (I think with a single IP address).I could probably get away with a 501 for the branch with the standard
10 user licenses, as there are 4 pcs & 5 printers. I could always upgrade to the 50 user license in the future if needed. How complicated is it to upgrade to 50 users by the way and what's involved? Is it something I can do myself as a pc specialist, or does it require a networking expert like my MSCE?What would the advantage be to having a 605 E instead of a 501 with 50 licenses at the main office? We probably won't be having people connect from their homes, so it's probably just those 4 pcs. Does the
605 E offer a lot more security protection, and is it necessary? The 501 should offer much better protection than what we currently have, but we're not having computer connect via the Internet currently.Currently the branch connects to the server via very expensive 56k dedicated line, so I don't think speed is too much of an issue. I heard the 605 E has a 200mhz processor instead of a 133mhz or something like that. The DSL connection should be much cheaper & faster as a bonus.
My sales rep mentioned he has never sold a Pix without the Smartnet service. He described the service as not only technical support, but as a service that sends regular updates to the routers automatically, sometimes several times a day, similar to virus definition updates. Is this being explained correctly? Are you all subscribing to this service for that reason? Is the Pix kind of worthless without this service?
I have a MCSE that will help me hook up everything, so hopefully we won't need the Smartnet for the technical support.
Thanks for any advice