When it comes to routing, VPN, and switching, I use Cisco. Most people who are in the small to mid technology sector usually say something to the effect of “Why? Sonicwall is fine, cisco is way too overkill for what you want to accomplish!” Well maybe, if by overkill you mean really being able to stand behind a product that I have years of experience with as opposed to the point-click VPN wizard which does not require an individual to understand HOW it works, then yes I am.
I have a current situation where I am still awaiting a response on Cisco equipment, so let me break it down like this. In the many years that I have been configuring VPN devices the only devices which don’t completely freak out after an Internet link drops turn out to be above the $400.00 price range. So my question is : “How much is that $400.00 router?” Any guesses? Over an average year with lets say at a minimum, one ISP drop per month and between drive time, reboots, re-mappings (you know that “disconnected network drive” which most apps will freak about?), the $400 router is now roughly $1600 .00, the cost of a Cisco with an AIM module. So now you have a $400.00 router, with 1200+ in labor to troubleshoot. What have you gained? With a Cisco device, you actually would’ve saved $50.00 in costs, but better yet, you would have saved a lot more when you take in to account the lost productivity as a result of being down for longer than necessary.
So my theory on Cisco is: Even if it seems expensive, a year down the line, it will have paid for itself, possibly being 1/2 as expensive as the $400.00 super-deal.
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