To connect or not to connect
Updated June 13, 2018
To connect or not to connect
Overall Satisfaction with Cisco Routers
- Cisco ISR 1000 Series
- Cisco ISR 4000 Series
- Cisco 800 Series Industrial ISR (IR 800)
They are critical in connecting our 100 WAN sites and edge connectivity.
- Once they are configured you can basically forget them until your (NMS) network management systems notify you of an issue
- Simple EIGRP configuration
- Super cost effective
- Most are single power supply
- If they aren't a full 19" 1U device you have to purchase rack ears separately from the device
- VPN tunneling can be a bit of a configuration challenge
- Buying a router and a layer 2 switch in low bandwidth deployments can save hundreds of dollars.
- The flexibility of the IR800 makes it the perfect edge processing IoT device. We would be able to change our backhaul method as needed with changing devices.
- With the new port configurations we have been able to consolidate to single routers where before we had to use 2 or more.
We are mainly an EIGRP shop which makes compatibility a must-have requirement.
We tend to utilize firewalls for these functions.
The Cisco Router has given us the confidence and comfort to sleep at night knowing our customers are accessing the resources they need even when we are not in the office.
We have only used Cisco Routers, why trade a BMW for a Hyundai.
Cisco Routers Additional Questions
- Internet Edge
- WAN connectivity
- Edge proccessing
- Price
- Product Features
- Product Usability
- Prior Experience with the Product
We are very familiar with how the devices work and have a long history of dependable deployments.
Using Cisco Routers
2 - Edge and WAN connectivity
2 - Network Engineers and network admins.
- For traffic control connectivity.
- We are investigating their role in IoT
- High and low temp deployments
Evaluating Cisco Routers and Competitors
I wouldn't.
Cisco Routers Implementation
- Third-party professional service company
ConvergeOne
Change management was a major issue with the implementation - Give yourself an easy backout plan.
- Found a bug that affects ssh.
Cisco Routers Training
- Online training
- Self-taught
Yes it was, Cisco has tons of Google-able materials and good forums that can help
Cisco Routers Support
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Quick Resolution Good followup Knowledgeable team Problems get solved Kept well informed No escalation required Immediate help available Support understands my problem Support cares about my success Quick Initial Response | None |
No - We have onsite spares.
Cisco's advanced service dug in and solved our configuration problems when working a proof of concept around the IR829 routers.
Using Cisco Routers
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Like to use Relatively simple Easy to use Technical support not required Consistent Quick to learn Convenient Feel confident using Familiar | None |
- Eigrp set up
- T1 configuration, module installation and setup
- Trunking to the switch
- BGP configuration is a bit difficult if you don't have experience configuring it.
- VPN setup can be confusing unless you have done a couple previously