Buy Cisco

If you're looking to buy Cisco networking equipment, you're making a good decision! There used to be a phrase in the computing market that said "No one ever got fired for buying IBM", and the same holds true today: "No one will get fired for choosing Cisco." Cisco manufactures state-of-the-art switching equipment for applications as small as residential applications, and as large as major carrier network environments, plus every business application in between. Cisco's switch equipment line complements its market-leading router line. Cisco is a leading provider of routing and switching equipment in the US marketplace and provides high quality equipment, software, and training in support of its applications. Cisco markets its equipment line through a series of VARs (Value Added Resellers) as well as online merchants. This web page was created to provide you with advice and information on where to buy Cisco products.

Purchase Cisco through a VAR. VARs are the most common source for network equipment, installation, and ongoing support since they will have properly trained staff to assist in the design, installation and ongoing maintenance of your equipment. In the enterprise network, simply adding a new box may have a cascading effect on the rest of the network. Having a VAR (or Technology Consultant) analyze your current network and redesign a solution adding additional equipment might be your safest bet. Most metro areas have more than one choice for VARs, so check your local Yellow Pages, talk to other businesses, and get references before you buy. When you buy from a VAR, you're expecting to get more than just "the box"; you're expecting to get design, installation, and ongoing support so do some checking on the front end.

Purchasing Cisco through Online Sellers. In general, the least expensive option to buying Cisco equipment is from online marketers. The Internet is a great source of information, both in terms of equipment specifications, and the ability for a buyer to quickly search the best available price among several resellers. Buying from a seller is simply purchasing the equipment. In the enterprise grade of networking equipment, you'll need appropriately trained staff to integrate your purchase into your network environment properly. Simply getting the lowest cost for purchasing doesn't necessarily mean your TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) will be lower. For instance, if a local VAR sells the 2600 model $100 higher, but will install the unit (and be available for ongoing support) for you at no extra cost, this might be your best option if you don't have trained IT support personnel on staff.

If you do have trained people on staff, consider the following online sellers:

• Hulanetworks.com offers new and used networking equipment
• Recurrent.com specializes in refurbished equipment
• Cisco.com lists Cisco's authorized partners. A Cisco partner has at least had some form of Cisco-based training, so if you need help from an online seller, a Cisco partner will likely be able to assist. You'll likely find a local VAR in this listing as well, so give this site a good look.

Advice about online purchases: most people realize by now that there are several ways to get scammed by online retailers. Besides all that has been written, we'll offer one additional suggestion: Get a credit card for internet-only purchases with a spending limit that will allow you to make monthly purchases without giving you too much "headroom". If your number gets hijacked along the way, you simply cancel that card and use an alternate until the fraud is solved.

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