Buy Used Cisco Router - Pros and Cons

Buying a Used Cisco Router - Pros and Cons

So you need a router either for your home, small office, business, learning, a door stop, or just because you happen to want one. The dominant vendor for routers/switches is Cisco and if you buy new Cisco routers the price will reflect that dominance. One option to avoid the high up front cost is to buy a used Cisco router. As with buying anything used there are some positives and negatives when you buy a used Cisco router.

Buy Used Cisco Router - Pros

1. Cost - The number one reason someone would buy a used Cisco router over a new one would be cost. Typically you can buy used Cisco routers for a very deep discount when compared to used Cisco routers.

2. Delivery Time - Depending on the model of Cisco router that you are looking to buy there can at times be a sizeable wait when ordering directly from Cisco. Sometimes believe it or not it can be faster to order from a reseller (gray market)

3. Availability of Old Models (EOL equipment) - Cisco tends to end of life their routers and switches and no longer sell them even if they are perfect for your needs. They do this in order to push their newer more expensive models on buyers even if the extra capabilities and features of the newer model aren't used.

Buy Used Cisco Router - Cons

1. Technical Support - When buying a used Cisco router you cannot expect Cisco to provide you with support for it. If you need support for your used Cisco router then that is something that you need to work out with the reseller prior to purchase.

2. Software - Without a Cisco.com account you won't be able to download new software for your router. You want to be sure that when you buy a used Cisco router it comes with a software (IOS) version that has the features you need.

3. Hardware availability - If you do need the latest and greatest model of Cisco router for whatever reason then it might not be available through resellers.

As you can see there are some positives and negatives when buying used Cisco routers; however, as long as you ensure you have the IOS (Software) version that you need and are able to search Google for some help on technical support I believe buying a used Cisco router is a great idea.