With eight models to choose from, the Cisco 800 Series Integrated Services Routers successfully combine a multitude of services including unified communications, wireless, data, and security into a single, easily deployable device.  All routers in this series support concurrent services at broadband speed to limit business interruption. Security features like VPN give teleworkers and remote staff secure access to data with a highly secure connection without worry about the threat of viruses, and the wireless features allows them to access company assets even when they’re away.

Different routers in this series offer different features.  While all provide 4-port 10/100 Mbps managed switch, a choice of 10/100 Mbps or ADSL2/2+ WAN connections, optional wireless connectivity, and strong security features like Cisco IOS Firewall, the Cisco 881, 887, and 888 models also boast advanced IP services and choice VDSL2 and G.SHDSL WAN connections as well as Cisco IOS Content Filtering and Cisco Dynamic Multipoint VPN (DMVPN).

To kick off the new year, we chose the Cisco 880 Series routers as our product of the month. These fixed-configuration routers combine voice, Internet access, security, and wireless services onto a single, secure device that is simple to use and manage for small businesses and enterprise small branch offices and teleworkers.  Simplicity is the key when it comes to the 880 series Integrated Services routers. Easy deployment and centralized management features– which give network managers visibility and control of the network configurations at the remote site– allow users to benefit from firewall, content filtering, VPNs, and wireless LANs (WLANs) at broadband speeds without complicated set up or downtime.

The Cisco 880 series offers secure analog, digital voice, and data communication; Fast Ethernet; Multimode DSL; 3G; ISDN; SRST voice continuity; small private branch exchange (PBX) capabilities for small and medium business customers; and much more.  They also provide impressive security features.  Firewall, IPSec, VPNs, IPS, content-filtering, and URL blocking are just a few of the security measures provided to protect both hardware and critical data.

Overall, this is a small but powerful addition to the network. It may not have all the bells and whistles that some other routers have, and it may not be the best if you think your business will suddenly grow exponentially in the next year, but strong and steady often wins the race.  And these routers give you a serious bang for your buck.

Delivering integrated data, IP telephony, voicemail, and automated-attendant functions, the Cisco C2801-4SHDSL/K9 router bundle simplifies management and delivers a lower total cost of ownership. It’s a great router and we love it. But it gets even better…

Enterprise branch offices and small to mid-sized businesses will benefit from the multitude of features the Cisco C2811-2SHDSL/K9 offers. Designed to bring voice, video, data, and mobility to help employees communicate effectively no matter where they work or what devices they use, the C2811-2SHDSL/K9 delivers integrated data, IP telephony, voicemail, and automated-attendant functions, allowing customers to deploy one device to address all their business needs. These features simplify operations and management, and reduce TCO.

And if you’re trying to find your voice…

The CISCO2801-CCME/K9, or Cisco Systems 2801 Voice Bundle w/ is one of twelve voice bundles designed for the Cisco 2800 Series Routers, and created specifically for the 2801 Model within that high-performing series. There are three voice bundle options for this model and the CISCO2801-CCME/K9 is the intermediate option. The most limited in features is the CISCO2801-V/K9 with IOS SP Services, PVDM2-8, 64 MB Flash/256 MB DRAM. The model featured on this page (Cisco 2801-CCME/K9) is equipped with IOS SP Services, PVDM2-8, FL-CCME (24 users), 128 MB Flash/256 MB DRAM. It is important to note that this product is a voice-only bundle. Bundles that include both voice and security are also available and provide the extra security measures that this bundle, while providing increased scalability, does not.

Overall, each platform in this series offers something different and valuable to the network. Consider the Cisco 2800 series before purchasing anything else. With the protection these routers offer, it may be worth the investment.

As the end of the year draws to a close, it’s time to reassess your networking needs and whether your current network is meeting the demand.  Here are a few tips to help you put this complicated task in perspective.

1. How often did your network go down last year?  And why? If it caused significant business interruptions, it may be time to upgrade. If the interruptions were due more often than not to viruses or hacking, or if any critical data was lost or hardware was damaged, it’s definitely time to upgrade to components with better network security.

2. Does it offer the mobility and flexibility your employees need?  You may think it does, but ask your staff. In this world of increasing mobility, employees may be able to increase their productivity with devices that don’t chain them to their desk. You may be surprised by their answers.

3. Are components in your network obsolete? If you’ve been told you’ll need to migrate at some point by the manufacturer, this may be the time to do it. But don’t fret! You don’t have to pay the exorbitant prices that the manufacturer charges. Consider purchasing a used or refurbished component from an alternative source like MULTI-LINK Communications Products (MLCP). There are several reputable companies out there, but MLCP has a long history of being in business and also warrants refurbished hardware for one full year.

4. Has the volume of your business changed? Whether it’s gone up or down, that’s a sign that your network may need a revamping.  Sometimes downgrading can save money as well so take a good hard look at what type of hardware best fits your current and growing needs.

We know everyone’s trying to save money for the holidays this time of year, and that’s what factored in to our decision to name the Cisco 12000-SIP-600 the December product of the month.

The Cisco 12000-SIP-600, or 10 Gbps IP Services Engine (modular), is a modular high-speed 10-Gbps SIP based on IP Services Engine (ISE) technology. The Cisco XR 12000/12000 SIP-600 hosts the common SPAs used for interconnecting routers with each other or with other networking devices such as Web servers, storage devices, and ATM or Ethernet switches. The Cisco XR 12000/12000 SIP-600 enhances and scales all functions and services previously available on the 2.5-Gbps ISE line card. Examples of these enhancements include line-rate IPv6 at 10 Gbps, scalable multicast and native multicast quality of service (QoS), and thousands of user interfaces, each dynamically associated with one or multiple class-of-service (CoS) queues.

Sure, we get that it’s terrific, but what was all that about saving money?

Well, here’s the best part. MULTI-LINK Communications Products (MLCP) is currently running this router as a special with a discount of 95% off the list price!  Call it a great deal or call it a holiday gift, but either way, if you’ve been considering a network upgrade, this may just be the time to do it!

Going green isn’t just a trend, it’s a way of life. And Cisco recognizes that. The Cisco ASR 9000 Series routers are the new wave of Carrier Ethernet transport with exceptional scalability, carrier-class reliability, environmentally conscious design, incredible flexibility, and an attractive price-to-performance benchmark. Routers in this series are designed to provide true carrier-class reliability using the Cisco IOS XR operating system, comprehensive system redundancy, and a full complement of network resiliency schemes.

Routers in this series, like the ASR-9010-AC, reduce environmental impact through lowered power consumption and decreased cooling requirements.  Optimal thermal design as well as the architecture of the power infrastructure, from the placement of line card components to the pitch of each slot, was designed with environmental protection in mind. Even the product packaging process was evaluated to minimize the use of packaging material and thereby reduce waste at customer locations.  Cisco’s commitment to efficient and future-friendly product design is apparent in the Cisco ASR 9000 Series.

These routers also decrease total operating cost through reduced power consumption and increased efficiency, increasing ROI. It’s a win-win. You win, the environment wins, and Cisco gets to keep doing what it does best:  making high-performance, highly secure routers to enhance networks all over the world.

Power supplies may seem basic, but don’t be fooled… when it comes to setting up a network, you need to know what you’re doing. So here’s a quickie on the nitty gritty of power supplies.  Most routers and switches, or other networking components that require electricity (pretty much all of them) come by default with either an AC or DC power supply. Depending on the requirements of the component, they may come with dual AC or dual DC power supplies. Rarely, if ever, can you mix one AC and one DC power supply.

For the most part, power supplies are field replaceable, but not always. If this is an important feature for you, you should check to be sure that the chassis or switch you’re ordering is, indeed, field replaceable. The more powerful the component, the more power it’s likely going to need. For example, the Cisco SR 1013 router has four power supplies split into two zones.

Power supplies need to be configured, usually, to the component. If you try to install one that isn’t, you’ll get an error message telling you to choose the power supply from the respective option class.

When ordering spare or replacement power supplies, think twice about purchasing new. It’s not like they wear out. Buying a used or preowned power supply will most likely be under warranty and will cost significantly less than a new one. Save that money for other components.

Every month we pick a product to feature and this month, we chose the ASR 1004 router from Cisco.  There are a plethora of reasons to give this particular router the honor this month, but here are just a few of the features we feel make it stand out from the rest…

First, versatility. As  a midrange router, you can deploy the Cisco ASR 1004 in broadband aggregation, enterprise network, service provider edge, IP Radio Access Network (IP RAN), and many other network applications.  In addition, the ASR 1004 supports dual Cisco IOS Software redundancy with either the RP1 or RP2 module while the Cisco ASR 1001 comes equipped only with the integrated route processor and the ASR 1002 comes with the integrated RP1. Again, did we mention versatility?

Second, the price point for this router makes it attractive especially if you opt for a pre-owned or refurbished version from an alternative Cisco provider like MULTI-LINK Communications Products (MLCP).  Dollar signs literally lit up in our eyes when we saw how cost-effective this router is.  The return on investment from increased security and productivity coupled with the lower cost means a lot more bang for your buck.

Overall, the Cisco ASR 1004 is one of those routers that stand out amongst its peers and Cisco, known as an industry leader in quality, hasn’t cut any corners here. Check out the options this router provides and when you compare, note its versatility and efficiency.