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Archive for the ‘Purchasing Tips’ Category

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The Truth about Third Party Components and Cisco’s Maintenance Agreements

Saturday, April 18th, 2009

If you think that you’ll negate your Cisco warranty or SmartNet Service Agreement by purchasing hardware from a third party, you’re wrong. Buying new or even refurbished equipment from a third party supplier like MULTI-LINK (MLCP), not only saves you money on the purchase, but keeps you protected under Cisco’s service agreement.

The Cisco Guideline for Third Party Components Support for the use of third-party memory, cables, GBICs, filters, or other non-Cisco components states that the nature of the defect or error is the key to determining Cisco support obligations. For example, if you install a memory component, like the MEM-MSFC2-512MB, and the nature of the defect is not in the memory component, Cisco will service the problem under the SmartNet Service agreement. If the error is with the memory component sold by a third-party, then it is the responsibility of that third party to rectify that problem.

If that’s the case, you have no worries with MLCP. Memory components, as well as several other products, carry a Lifetime warranty. Other products carry at least a one year warranty. We will replace the part at no charge during the warranty period. Once the third-party component is replaced and working, Cisco will service your network under the SmartNet Service agreement.

Another thing to keep in mind when balancing the expense of a service agreement with the cost savings of buying from third-party resellers is whether the savings is worth the risk. For example, if you purchase the aforementioned memory component from MLCP, the cost savings is approximately $4600 off the list price. That savings alone could buy the same spare part twenty times over! And that doesn’t include the monthly fee for the maintenance agreement.

You have nothing to lose by purchasing I.T. hardware from a third-party provider like MLCP. You have a great deal to lose by purchasing direct from Cisco—a great deal of money that is.

Router Security Features Made Easy: What is a Firewall?

Sunday, February 22nd, 2009

If you’re not an I.T. wiz, some of the descriptions of the router security features might seem more like a foreign language than anything aimed at helping you decipher which integrated services router is right for your company. We’re here to help you understand the security features of a router by breaking them down for you one at a time. Let’s talk about Firewalls.

First off, what is a Firewall?

A firewall is a device that provides basic security for your computer or network. Network-level firewalls are typically built into your router and acts as sort of a gatekeeper for all the packets of data that enter your network from the expansive internet (which can be a dangerous place). The firewall examines each data packet and looks at the data packet’s header. The header must match a list of ‘rules’ that the firewall knows, and if it does, it can pass. If it doesn’t, the firewall stops it. Who sets these rules? The network administrator typically sets the rules for the firewall to follow, but can also set up the opposite—a set of rules that are negative. If the firewall detects that a packet’s header contains something on the firewall’s list of ‘negative rules,’ it will also stop the packet in its tracks.

While in theory, a firewall might be enough of a security system to protect a network, it usually isn’t. Most firewalls do not detect and defuse viruses, worms, and most application-specific attacks. To the firewall, the headers for these ‘bad packets’ appear to be good headers which is why additional security like and IDS, IPS, application-level firewalls, and anti-spyware/anti-virus applications are needed for more reliable network protection.

Think of it like this. Your network is a night club. The firewall is the bouncer who stands at the door letting people come in. Even the biggest, most intimidating bouncer has no way of knowing that the underage boy showing him a fake ID is really underage. To the bouncer who sees the fake ID, the kid looks legit. And so he lets the kid go in, and in turn, the boy is caught drinking and the entire club is shut down—which is exactly what malware like a virus or worm can do to your network. An IDS/IPS combo, and anti-spyware/anti-virus applications along with application-level firewalls take a harder look at the underage kid’s I.D. So once the kid gets past the bouncer, he hands his ID to a hostess who runs it through a scanner. The ID comes up as a fake, the threat is detected, and the kid is then promptly kicked out of the club before ever reaching the bar. These added layers of security are like the ID scanner. They use complex rules when they examine a packet, scrutinizing its content, its source, the ports involved, the destination address, the type of traffic it is, and the applications being called to open it. Only under this advanced scrutiny can hidden attackers like viruses and worms be detected.

Quality Refurbished Equipment from a Source You Can Trust

Tuesday, January 20th, 2009

If you’re one of the many business owners who needs to tighten your belt to adjust to the downturn in the economy, purchasing refurbished equipment for your upgrade instead of buying new, or purchasing used hardware to accommodate a downsize may be the most cost-efficient option for you.  Refurbished equipment is certainly less expensive for obvious reasons, but is it reliable?  The fear of buying anything used is the question of reliability and ultimately, if a product doesn’t last or work the way it’s supposed to, the savings is quickly offset by lost time and additional hardware.  So is it better to bite the bullet, pay significantly more, and buy new?  Or is it safe to assume that refurbished hardware is reliable enough to deliver on its promise of savings?

The simple answer is… it depends.  Like buying a ‘pre-owned’ car, some dealerships are much better than others.  While most of us wouldn’t think twice about buying a year old BMW from a reputable BMW dealer, we might not purchase one from the independent car lot that just opened up down the street.  The same logic applies to networking equipment and computer hardware for the same reasons.  Finding a reputable company that not only does a high volume of business, but tests and warrants refurbished equipment will definitely dictate whether your experience is a pleasant one or not. 

There are three things you should look for in the company you plan to buy refurbished equipment from:

First, find out how long they’ve been in business.  Longevity usually means more experience and solid business practices.

Second, look for specifics on the number of times a product is tested, and how long the used products remain under warranty.  Good companies will guarantee a used product for the same length of time that the manufacturer guarantees the same product new.  Some even offer better warranties than the manufacturer.

Third, ask the company if they have the product in stock or not.  If a company maintains a large inventory, and doesn’t have to hunt down, test, and refurbish a product after you’ve ordered it, that means faster lead times and you’ll end up with the product in your hand much more quickly.

If you follow those tips for finding the right company, you can feel much more comfortable in knowing that the hardware you’ve purchased will be delivered on time, in good condition, and will last at least as long as the manufacturer expected the same product would last if you purchased it new.  These companies exist, but so do the less reliable, fly-by-night companies.  Do your research.  It’ll pay off in the long run.

Need it in a Hurry? West Coast Companies Deliver!

Thursday, December 25th, 2008

You’re in a pinch. It’s 8pm. Your network is down and you need hardware… now! You grab your laptop and go online. Lots of companies offer the product but the question is who can get it to you the quickest. At first you think finding a local company would be the best bet. Same state, it’ll get to you fast. Not always so.

West Coast companies, based on geography alone, have an advantage that others don’t. Because of the time zone, west coast companies can often get rush orders out the same day after East Coast or Midwestern companies have already missed deadlines for pick ups.

What difference can one day make? A lot when you’re losing hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in sales every hour that your network is down. But does it pay off to use a West Coast company if the product you need has to travel further anyway? Actually, it does. The time saved by ensuring a product leaves the warehouse even eight hours earlier more than makes up the time it takes to fly the product across the country. Look at it this way… a product leaves Los Angeles for New York at 4pm Pacific time, 7pm Eastern time. It takes the product six hours to be flown cross-country plus an additional two hours drive time. The product arrives the next afternoon in New York at your office. If the order had been processed the next day, even as early as 8am, you’d still have to wait an additional day to receive it because you’re in the same time zone. In short, using a west coast company is like saving up to three hours which parlays into, by the time the product is sent out and received, almost an entire day.

This holds true for all kinds of retail stores from food products to computer hardware to clothing. When you need it in a hurry, check out your west coast retailers. Who says you can’t buy time?

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