«

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

Mark wrote:
> 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?

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

> How do I know if the equipment is any good?

---> 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.

> Are there licensing issues to worry about?

---> Oh yes...

> Can I get SMARTnet on used equipment?

---> 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?

>
> Any advice would be greatly appreciated,
> Mark

Mark wrote:

> 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.

> Any advice would be greatly appreciated,

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.

--
<http://ale.cx/> (AIM:troffasky) ()
20:00:32 up 77 days, 22:12, 3 users, load average: 0.17, 0.06, 0.05
Sexy ladies, and nasty boys, all freaky freakin', to the robot noise

"Mark" <> wrote in message
news:69077f5f-6850-4166-8007-...
> 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?
Yes it is, if you purchase from a reputable reseller.

> How do I know if the equipment is any good?
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.

> Are there licensing issues to worry about?
No. A reseller that sells Cisco refurbed equipment will include a refurb
license. Cisco's offiical price list includes part numbers for refurb
licenses.

> Can I get SMARTnet on used equipment?
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.

>
> Any advice would be greatly appreciated,
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.

> Mark

On Feb 21, 1:46*am, "Thrill5" <nos...@somewhere.com> wrote:
> "Mark" <markjaysom...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>
> news:69077f5f-6850-4166-8007-...> 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?
>
> Yes it is, if you purchase from a reputable reseller.
>
> > How do I know if the equipment is any good?
>
> 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.
>
> > Are there licensing issues to worry about?
>
> No. *A reseller that sells Cisco refurbed equipment will include a refurb
> license. *Cisco's offiical price list includes part numbers for refurb
> licenses.
>
> > Can I get SMARTnet on used equipment?
>
> 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.
>
>
>
> > Any advice would be greatly appreciated,
>
> 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.
>
> > Mark

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 (www.myriadsupply.com) 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

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:
> "Mark" <> wrote in message
> news:69077f5f-6850-4166-8007-...
>> 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?
> Yes it is, if you purchase from a reputable reseller.
>
>> How do I know if the equipment is any good?
> 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.
>
>> Are there licensing issues to worry about?
> No. A reseller that sells Cisco refurbed equipment will include a refurb
> license. Cisco's offiical price list includes part numbers for refurb
> licenses.
>
>> Can I get SMARTnet on used equipment?
> 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.
>
>> Any advice would be greatly appreciated,
> 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.
>
>> Mark
>
>

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:
> 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.
>
> "fugettaboutit" <> wrote in message
> news:FaVnl.769$...
>> 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:
>>> "Mark" <> wrote in message
>>> news:69077f5f-6850-4166-8007-...
>>>> 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?
>>> Yes it is, if you purchase from a reputable reseller.
>>>
>>>> How do I know if the equipment is any good?
>>> 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.
>>>
>>>> Are there licensing issues to worry about?
>>> No. A reseller that sells Cisco refurbed equipment will include a refurb
>>> license. Cisco's offiical price list includes part numbers for refurb
>>> licenses.
>>>
>>>> Can I get SMARTnet on used equipment?
>>> 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.
>>>
>>>> Any advice would be greatly appreciated,
>>> 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.
>>>
>>>> Mark
>

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.


On Feb 21, 9:20*pm, fugettaboutit <n...@mas.com> wrote:
> 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:
> > I worked for a very large bank and we purchased used Cisco all the time..
> > We purchased about 2 million a year f 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.
>
> > "fugettaboutit" <n...@mas.com> wrote in message
> >news:FaVnl.769$...
> >> 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:
> >>> "Mark" <markjaysom...@gmail.com> wrote in message
> >>>news:69077f5f-6850-4166-8007-....
> >>>> 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?
> >>> Yes it is, if you purchase from a reputable reseller.
>
> >>>> How do I know if the equipment is any good?
> >>> 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.
>
> >>>> Are there licensing issues to worry about?
> >>> No. *A reseller that sells Cisco refurbed equipment will include a refurb
> >>> license. *Cisco's offiical price list includes part numbers for refurb
> >>> licenses.
>
> >>>> Can I get SMARTnet on used equipment?
> >>> 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.
>
> >>>> Any advice would be greatly appreciated,
> >>> 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.
>
> >>>> Mark- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

On Feb 22, 3:52*am, TimParker <tim...@gmail.com> wrote:
> 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.
>
> On Feb 21, 9:20*pm, fugettaboutit <n...@mas.com> wrote:
>
> > 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:
> > > I worked for a very large bank and we purchased used Cisco all the time.
> > > We purchased about 2 million a year f 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.
>
> > > "fugettaboutit" <n...@mas.com> wrote in message
> > >news:FaVnl.769$...
> > >> 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:
> > >>> "Mark" <markjaysom...@gmail.com> wrote in message
> > >>>news:69077f5f-6850-4166-8007-...
> > >>>> 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?
> > >>> Yes it is, if you purchase from a reputable reseller.
>
> > >>>> How do I know if the equipment is any good?
> > >>> 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.
>
> > >>>> Are there licensing issues to worry about?
> > >>> No. *A reseller that sells Cisco refurbed equipment will include a refurb
> > >>> license. *Cisco's offiical price list includes part numbers for refurb
> > >>> licenses.
>
> > >>>> Can I get SMARTnet on used equipment?
> > >>> 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.
>
> > >>>> Any advice would be greatly appreciated,
> > >>> 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.
>
> > >>>> Mark- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -

I have always used www.myriadsupply.com and www.networkhardwareresale.com
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.

Have used CxTec www.cxtec.com 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.

"fugettaboutit" <> wrote in message
news:XD2ol.861$...
> Mind name-dropping a few folks to consider? I'd at least like to look into
> this option. I've ran the other direction when other companies have
> approached me.
>
>
> Thrill5 wrote:
>> I worked for a very large bank and we purchased used Cisco all the time.
>> We purchased about 2 million a year of Cisco equipment and about 10
>> percent of that was refurbed. Never once had an issue with putting the
>> equipment on SmartNet. The key is to purchase gear from a reseller that
>> has an established reputation with Cisco. All of our resellers were
>> Silver or Gold partners. Any Cisco partner will have access to Cisco
>> refurbished equipment, but not all choose to sell it. If you purchase
>> equipment from resellers that are not a Cisco partner, you could have
>> issues with counterfiet or grey market equipment. Grey market equipment
>> is not so much an issue in the US, but a problem in other countries. It
>> is just about impossible to get SmartNet on grey market equipment.
>>
>> The secondary market is very important to Cisco. Cisco obtains most of
>> the their refurb equipment from trade-ins and they need to get rid of it
>> somehow without taking a huge loss.
>>
>> "fugettaboutit" <> wrote in message
>> news:FaVnl.769$...
>>> 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:
>>>> "Mark" <> wrote in message
>>>> news:69077f5f-6850-4166-8007-...
>>>>> 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?
>>>> Yes it is, if you purchase from a reputable reseller.
>>>>
>>>>> How do I know if the equipment is any good?
>>>> 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.
>>>>
>>>>> Are there licensing issues to worry about?
>>>> No. A reseller that sells Cisco refurbed equipment will include a
>>>> refurb license. Cisco's offiical price list includes part numbers for
>>>> refurb licenses.
>>>>
>>>>> Can I get SMARTnet on used equipment?
>>>> 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.
>>>>
>>>>> Any advice would be greatly appreciated,
>>>> 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.
>>>>
>>>>> Mark
>>