I purchased a Cisco 2620 router from a seller on eBay. I deperately need to upgrade the IOS on the router. I wanted to do do it legally, so I called Cisco. They told me that since the "reseller chain" had been broken they could not provide a SmartNet contract for the device, and that they also could not sell me the IOS software without a contract.
This seems unreal to me. Cisco can't sell their own product to me? What are my options here?
You have no realistic options. The last day to start a new service contract for a 2620 was April 26, 2004. You are too late even to "relicense" the device into your ownership (cisco part # LL26C= about $US300). If had been the owner of record, then Cisco -might- have been willing to sell you the 12.3 IOS IP CD as a one-time purchase.
You could always go back to them and ask whether they would accept a relicense and then an IOS purchase, but be aware that the price would likely be about $US700 for the combination.
If your device is really a 2620XM instead of a 2620 then you are much more likely to be allowed to relicense.
It is too late for you now, but could you let us know where you checked (before your purchase) to see whether you were going to be entitled to use and upgrade the software? We consistantly warn people, but as you must not have seen the warnings, it appears that there are more places we should post the warnings to so that others will avoid the problem in the future.
You may wish to investigate the Used Cisco Equipment FAQ:
Brad Reese
Well I see Cisco loves em lawyers. Really reminds me of DEC. Yea many people have already forgotten them, but they used to be the number 2 computer manufacturer. Before their demise- same legal mumbo jumbo. Cisco makes a fine product, but their sales and legal departments have not learned from history.
All their legal mumbo jumbo keeps inventive folks from using/playing with their equipment and improving upon it. Offshoring their engineering to a culture that has educated people-but not inventive, is not going to keep them in the lead. Need I mention Foundry, etc.
So what if someone has used equipment.... They learn and may see features that could be implemented, enhanced, etc. I f Cisco starts the not invented her creedo, they are doomed to failure. Used equipment should be out there--how else do the people that push Cisco learn to use it? No $10,000 diploma factories for me. If it's a manufacturers certification--it's useless. Doctors, lawyers, Professional Engineers are not certified by Pharmacy's, Legal Firms, and Engineering companies. They are certified by an unbiased State Agency. We have the Fox guarding the Chicken Ranch with Cisco, Microsoft, etc. It's laughable.
You want some cheese with that wine?
Houston SBC,
Understand your point.
Cisco CEO John Chambers earlier worked at Wang Laboratories and is very aware that highly successful companies can still fail.
Not wishing to repeat the mistakes he learned while working at Wang, Mr. Chambers established the Cisco Authorized Refurbished Equipment Program:
Sincerely,
Brad Reese Cisco Technical Forums
Brad,
The Cisco Authorized Refurbished Equipment Program is good for businesses trying to economize by using used equipment. But I think Houston SBC's point is why make it so difficult to legally get software for equiment that is no longer supported by CISCO, such as the
2500 series routers? This equipment is mainly used by people practising for Cisco certification.This restrictive policy is pushing people into illegally downloading ios software using P2P sites and Russian ftp sites. There is even a program called ioshunter to help with this task.
Just search through your favourite online Cisco reseller and buy the smallest and cheapest packaged Smartnet you can get for any Cisco device that is still supported. I think the ones for 800 series or 1700 series routers are rather cheap, get the 8x5xNBD (8 hours a day, 5 days a week, next business day), but you can get one for the 2600 as well. Finding out which one it is is the hardest part, I can never find the list of Smartnet categories and which device belongs to which category.
All you receive is a box with a couple of papers that contain the code you need to signup for Smartnet. To register you need a serial number of one of those devices for which the Smartnet contract is meant (of course for one that has not yet been registered).
After you register you will be able to download any IOS for any device from the
800 series up to the 12K.Screw Cisco.
Cisco logs IOS downloads. If you download an IOS that you are not entitled to, Cisco has the ability to determine that from their logs.
Sorry, my tastes don't run that way.
Downloading an IOS you are not entitled to would be theft; is a used 2620 really worth going to jail over?
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