Likelihood to Recommend When it comes to security on the edge of your network (downstream) Cisco's IOS security features provide pretty much everything you need when it comes to securing your network, network devices, and access. I would absolutely recommend Cisco switches due to many reasons, but a big reason is security.
Read full review Cisco Routers are well suited when it comes to create a meshed VPN infrastructure with all your branch offices worldwide. You can easily configure the Cisco Routers with static VPN, DMVPN or SD-WAN, which is great. You can also use a Cisco Routers as a CUBE to establish a direct routing (voice) for MS Teams.
Read full review Pros Authentication. Access lists. Port security. Read full review Helps to separate routing information for different networks for different customers. Helps peers with service providers and Customer Networks and starts the exchange of information between them. Helps facilitate internet connectivity for enterprise networks. Helps transferring Internet or Private Data from one place to another. Read full review Cons Cisco could provide an initial set up script for those are not used to the CLI (Command Line Interface). With that initial script, people could easily deploy the security features instead of having to learn how to use the commands. The web interface that Cisco provides with the routers, although it’s useful to set up the security features, it could also have some sort of tutorials to help people understand the main concepts of iOS security. You have to license iOS security separately from the main OS. For that reason, sometimes it tends to be a little expensive if you have a small business. Read full review Software-defined radios could be used so that both the radios could be converted into 5 GHz model to provide enhanced connectivity in network congestion scenarios. Support for low power IoT devices. Should provide more details about devices connected to the access points such as the risk score of the devices. Enhanced encryption algorithms and quick firmware upgrades. Read full review Likelihood to Renew We are extremely likely to renew, as we have been very happy with our Cisco Routers for over 10 years. Their uptime as well as stable nature makes them ideal for us, as we are an industry that cannot afford downtime. We trust our partner to recommend our next model Cisco, when the time comes.
Read full review Support Rating Cisco has the best Support team that gives us 24/7 support as we need. Cisco has huge detailed documentation for design, implementation, and troubleshooting all areas of the IOS security. There are many communities discussing all Cisco devices and solutions for studying groups and for customers to share their stories, technical problem and solutions.
Read full review Alternatives Considered I also like HP Procurve. It is my choice when the customer cannot afford Cisco. Cisco is better all round but HP is the only other [product] I will use if I have a choice.
Read full review The main reason to go with Cisco Routers is reliability. Other than that most engineers are certified to operate these routers. Other reasons are good technical support, quality community and familiarity/experience within the industry of networking. It is by default product to go with in many situations.
Read full review Return on Investment Cisco iOS security helped our business deploy a relatively safe solution for a small amount of money. If you don’t have enough budget to invest in a robust and expensive firewall solution, you can safely use Cisco iOS security to protect your branch or remote office without compromise your network. Because Cisco iOS security uses a simple command-line based interface, you can deploy standardized scripts and keep the operational costs low. Read full review Experience tells us that using Cisco products is always positive since the quality/price is very well distributed. They reduce energy costs and the consumption of resources, optimizing efficiency to the maximum The equipment is prepared so that all kinds of people can use them. They have higher levels of access and service. Its functionality is one of the best on the market, its unmatched response. Cisco routers provide fast access and hassle-free connectivity and are renowned for their performance. TAC's service is by far the best accessible configuration manuals Read full review ScreenShots