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

 

---> 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?

 

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.

 

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.

 

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...

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

I recently used www.myriadsupply.com 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.