Not every warranty is created equal and we thought it might be helpful to give you a few tips on what makes a warranty stand out, as well as what a warranty suggests about the company providing it.  Truly, you can tell a lot about a company from its warranty. Here are a few things to look for:

1. Does the company offer an unconditional warranty? What we mean by this  is, is there a standard warranty that covers everything the company sells? If they offer better-than-standard on some components, that’s terrific, but if no standard warranty exists– or if there are components that they sell but won’t cover– that means they don’t really stand behind all of their products and could be a clue that the company doesn’t test products before shipping or is willing to use other suppliers that don’t test products.

2. Does the company offer a warranty on used hardware as well as new? It’s easy to offer warranties on new or new surplus equipment. They’re just utilizing the manufacturer’s existing warranty. But whether a company will provide its own warranty on used or refurbished equipment that’s no longer under the manufacturer’s warranty says a lot. It means they personally take accountability for making sure the equipment you buy from them will work.

3. Is the full warranty posted on the company’s website so that it can be read and downloaded at any time? Or is it complicated with lots of asterisks implying that restrictions apply but it’s difficult to know exactly what those restrictions are? A company that sticks to the letter of its warranty isn’t afraid to let you know what it is. Those that hope you never really know what the warranty covers will make it difficult for you to find that information. A link from the homepage to the warranty page is also a good sign.

4. Is there a cooling off period? Or once you bought it, you’re stuck? A reputable company will often give you a week or more to decide whether you want to keep a non-defective product. This is important because companies that are willing to take that risk have a goal other than to just sell you a component and take your money– they want you to be happy with your purchase and build a professional relationship with you.

5. Last, always see how long the company has been in business. Remember, even the best warranty in the world is worthless if the company that offered it is no longer in business.

Deciding whether to buy, lease, or rent networking equipment is a big decision… and a costly one. Which one serves your situation best? What if your cash flow changes? Or what if your needs change? How can you predict whether you’ll need to downsize, upgrade, or change out old equipment? What if you have surplus equipment lying around?

So many questions!

We always advocate talking to a networking professional at a company like MULTI-LINK Communications Products about your individual needs and goals, but here are a few tips to help you get a handle on the benefits of each option:

When to Rent:
When you need ready, reliable equipment on a short-term basis, a rental agreement with MULTI-LINK can provide a cost-effective temporary solution that will see you through immediate term initiatives like training, testing, relocation management and disaster recovery operations. Typical rental agreements can last up to a year, but the ideal rental duration is usually measured in terms of weeks or months.

When to Lease:
There are several benefits of leasing networking equipment from MULTI-LINK. Leasing is typically the best option when you need networking equipment for anywhere from a number of months up to five years. The main advantage of leasing is capital conservation. By minimizing down payments and locking in a fixed equipment cost, you limit up front financial exposure and reduce the risk of becoming tied to an outdated or under-performing system.

When to Buy:

Buy equipment like routers and switches when you have a good sense of your organization’s equipment needs. Plan for the long term, but not so far into the future that you’re purchasing more equipment than you need or you’ll find what you purchased may be obsolete by the time you need to utilize its full capabilities.  Remember, too, that purchasing pre-owned computer hardware is also an option that will save money and allow you to upgrade more easily in the future if you think that it may be necessary.

If you’ve noticed that you can save a considerable amount of money by purchasing third party transceivers for your network, you’re not alone. Companies can often save thousands of dollars simply by buying third party transceivers instead of paying top dollar from the manufacturer. But is it worth it? Are third party transceivers reliable? Will they negate your warranty? Will it end up costing you time, money, and headaches when all is said and done?

Yes and no.

There are a few important factors to consider when buying third party transceivers. First, beware of counterfeit transceivers which are pumped into the market by folks overseas who specialize in knock-off products.  These counterfeit products can damage your equipment and freeze components within your network.  Only purchase from a reputable, U.S. company that must adhere to laws that govern domestic manufacturing and sales.

Once you’ve found a reputable company to work with, find out which 3rd party transceivers are ‘guaranteed compatible’ with your existing equipment.  Put the responsibility on the distributor you’re working with.  Although manufacturers would like you to believe that 3rd party products are inferior to OEM products (because they’d love for you to pay them premium prices for their product instead of saving some cash by going somewhere else), most third party products are just as good as manufacturer-labeled.  In some cases, both the OEM equipment and third-party equipment are actually made by the exact same company!

This is where you actually can save money. When you work with a reputable company that will provide ‘guaranteed compatibility’ on 3rd party equipment, it’s just like using OEM equipment.  And often, these distributors actually offer better warranties than the manufacturer will because they’re competing for your business.

Now, last question. Will buying 3rd party transceivers from someone other than the manufacturer negate your service agreement with the manufacturer? Typically, no, but you should check the fine print of your service contract. If a problem within the network appears to be due to the 3rd party equipment, then of course the service provider is not required to fix or replace the part. But if not, then there’s no grounds for the service provider to deny you services when the problem is due to one of their components.

You may have to point this out to your service provider who may try to use the fact that you installed third-party components as a way to save themselves a service call.  Is it worth the hassle if they do that?  Possibly. Third party components can literally save hundreds to thousands of dollars which can add up to years worth of service agreement monthly fees and service calls.  In the end, you may find it’s more economical to discontinue a service contract, enjoy the freedom of purchasing from whomever you want at the best prices, and then simply paying a service provider to come out and assess your problem once you encounter one– if you encounter one.

But you need to do the numbers yourself and see which situation works better for your budget.