Is used Cisco equipment safe to buy?

My CTO is asking me to check pricing on used Cisco equipment for our core upgrade. We have never bought used Cisco equipment, but I'm getting a lot of pressure to cut our IT Budget, and my guys seem to think this is a good way to trim the fat.

Is this safe to do? How do I know if the equipment is any good? Are there licensing issues to worry about? Can I get SMARTnet on used equipment?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, Mark

Reply to
Mark
Loading thread data ...

---> If the dealer is reputable...counterfeit product is a real challenge

---> You may not. GBICs can work fine until you perform an IOS upgrade, and new "checks" in the IOS can flag the GBIC as invalid and then disable it.

---> Oh yes...

---> You'll need to have it "recertified" by Cisco. By the time you pay for that, you'll probably be better off just getting the new gear.

Some vendors will sell you the gear and offer their own support. I don't know exactly how they handle the situation where you need new code. Without SMARTNet, you can't get regular IOS upgrades (legally, anyway). I've tried to consider what you're doing, and was burnt by a vendor and counterfeit gear. The final point is that the hassle to get the gear to where SMARTNet will cover is probably not going to save you much. Cisco's kind of got us by the ear when it comes to their gear and support. They've done their homework to make it not too much worth the hassle if you choose to play by the rules. Hardware is one thing, but the IOS (which is the heart and soul of Cisco) is what complicates things. Your choice is to illegally use the IOS, get stuck with a single version you can't do anything with from a used equipment dealer (and the legality of that is suspect), or simply play by the SMARTNet rules.

Anyone else have want to chime in? :-)

Reply to
fugettaboutit

If you can't afford new Cisco, buy HP Procurve. Lifetime advance [ie they send you a replacement + return shipping box if they determine the hardware is faulty] replacement warranty is hard to beat. Kit is rock solid. Does most of what Cisco does.

Reply to
alexd

Yes it is, if you purchase from a reputable reseller.

Purchase only used equipment that is refurbished by Cisc and only purchase from a reseller that sells Cisco refurbished gear. Cisco sales reps don't like selling Cisco refurb because their comission is less, and that is the only reason.

No. A reseller that sells Cisco refurbed equipment will include a refurb license. Cisco's offiical price list includes part numbers for refurb licenses.

Yes. Note that some equipment (mostly closet switches like 3750's, 3560's and 2960's) include a lifetime hardware warranty to the original purchaser. When you buy this stuff as refurb, you must purchase a SMARTNet contract on it in order to get hardware replacement.

Depending on what you are buying and the amount of stuff you purchase every year, the additional discount for buying refurb may or may not be that good. The most popular equipment will give you a few extra points of discount on refurb, and the less popular stuff will give you bigger discounts. Generally, the best bang for your buck on refurb equipment is going to be on routers, 800 series, 1800 series, 2800 series, 3800 series and 7200 series, along with their cards and on equipment that has an annouced EoS, is EoS or EoL Be very careful purchasing used ISDN, and serial WIC cards becuase these are very popular items and the most popular items that are counterfeit.

Reply to
Thrill5

My CTO is asking me to check pricing on used Cisco equipment for our

Guys thank you very much for all the replies and suggestions. You can see why I'm a little concerned as this is core gear.

I have been using a company in New York called Myriad Supply for 5 years now

formatting link
but only for edge devices (T1 Routers, IP Phones) and to build my own lab. They have been absolutely awesome so far. Their response time is fantastic, pricing is 60%-70% lower than gold partner, and all of the equipment looks like new. Everything I have gotten so far has been returned to factory defaults and flawless.

Based on what I'm hearing, perhaps it makes sense to get the chassis and sups from my local gold partner and then pick up the rest of the blades, power supplies, and optics used from the Myriad guys?

Has anyone gone this route?

Thanks, Mark

Reply to
Mark

Thrill5,

Perhaps you've had more experience with buying used Cisco gear, but many of my conversations with Cisco seem to indicate that it's not nearly as seamless as you've outlined. Of course, the fox was guarding the hen house, but independent questions to folks outside of Cisco have kind of re-iterated their trials and problems in trying to obtain support and software (legally). This isn't to say you're wrong, it's just so different from what I've heard from folks that it makes me kind of say, "really?" :-)

I'm going to look into the refurb license thing...

Thrill5 wrote:

Reply to
fugettaboutit

I worked for a very large bank and we purchased used Cisco all the time. We purchased about 2 million a year of Cisco equipment and about 10 percent of that was refurbed. Never once had an issue with putting the equipment on SmartNet. The key is to purchase gear from a reseller that has an established reputation with Cisco. All of our resellers were Silver or Gold partners. Any Cisco partner will have access to Cisco refurbished equipment, but not all choose to sell it. If you purchase equipment from resellers that are not a Cisco partner, you could have issues with counterfiet or grey market equipment. Grey market equipment is not so much an issue in the US, but a problem in other countries. It is just about impossible to get SmartNet on grey market equipment.

The secondary market is very important to Cisco. Cisco obtains most of the their refurb equipment from trade-ins and they need to get rid of it somehow without taking a huge loss.

Reply to
Thrill5

Mind name-dropping a few folks to consider? I'd at least like to look into this option. I've ran the other direction when other companies have approached me.

Thrill5 wrote:

Reply to
fugettaboutit

Yeah, I wouldn't mind hearing some names either to look to for good stuff. I work for a small non-profit and would like to get more cisco in our environment but money is sometimes (actually should read always) in short supply.

..

Reply to
TimParker

m...

I have always used

formatting link
and
formatting link
and have been able to get SMARTnet on used units without any problem. For items where SMARTnet isn't critical, I've found both companies have knowledgeable post-sales techs who can help me with any type of configuration problem.

Reply to
Mark

Have used CxTec

formatting link
for years (great customer service), and Verizon and Sprint. Buying from Verizon or Sprint is a challenge, even when you are a REALLY big customer. Customer service and speed of processing orders are not their strong suits, but they can offer great discounts if you are a REALLY big customer. REALLY big customer means that you are spending at least million a year with them on telecom services. Another good source for new Cisco is CDW, but I've never purchased refurb from them before.

Reply to
Thrill5

com...

I recently used

formatting link
as well to purchase some used cisco gear when I wanted to start to study for my CCVP. Very good prices and helpful pre-sales to suggest some possible starting configurations for my lab setup. When I have the money to get some additional equipment I will use them again for sure.

Reply to
gutterboy44

Cabling-Design.com Forums website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.