Looking for your thoughts

[fsebera]

We have about 300 remote sites, each with a 2800 series router.

Cisco has announced End-of-Sale (EoS) and End-of-Life (EoL) for this platform which is about 5 years from now.

Since Cisco will support this series router for several more years (hardware and software) AND this model supports all our requirements, the question becomes should we replace these 2800 series routers or not; this year. Oh and btw, we are a US Government organization spending tax payer money.

Thanks

Frank

[Alessio Andreoli · Accepted solution]

Hi Frank,

since encouraging you to upgrade your platform is a dty of mine let me list you the benefits:

a) You can make Cisco Systems very happy

b) You can contribute to be a not-official 15.x IOS tester

c) You can speak on this forum about new troubles

d) You can tell you feel very cool because you have the ISR G2 vs the G1

e) You can think in 5 years if to upgrade your platform again and rating us five stars again

f) You can enjoy the ISR G2 modules limitations and license system limitations

h) Valid point  with the newer ISR G3.... This will be the new upgrade you'll do in 5 years

j) A valid platform is what a governement business requires. Not the last one.

What are you waiting for?

Alessio

PS: i love Cisco!!

PS2: NATO used the 7200 platform for many years not upgrading anything for their reliability

[Mohamed Sobair · Accepted solution]

Frank,

Your Products are End Of Life & End Of Support, meaning there is no hardware replacement for you incase of a disaster, meaning there is no valid support for those platforms, meaning No newer software releases , additional features, Software Bug Fixes.

The Question, why then Keep such hardware with you for Such kind of business, Especially for a goverment affairs, it put you at a very high risk.

I would difinately recommend replacing these hardwares with the Newer ISR - G3 series, all of the above concerns will have no impact in your current Network production.

If your Concern is Money, Look for Selling these Hardwares and try to replace it by the newer ones ASAP, especially for such organization and Enterprises & If your Concern is continuty/Features in your production Network.

Regards,

Mohamed

[fsebera]

Guys, thanks for the candid suppot- its what is needed sometimes.

As far as software support, Cisco will provide software support (software maintenance releases, bug fixes) until Jan 30, 2014; more than a year from now.

So it appears we should be fine for ---at least--- one more year.

Anyone else wanna add to this discussion?

Thanks and Best Regards!!

Frank

[Richard Burts · Accepted solution]

Frank

We have several of our customers who are US government organizations and who are dealing with the end of sales/end of life for the ISR G1 routers. In general they are moving ahead with plans to switch to the ISR G2 routers. They are not doing complete swap out but certainly as they purchase any routers they are purchasing G2s and in some cases may accelerate planned replacement of some routers. I would suggest that this would be a good approach for your organization.

HTH

Rick

[Joseph W. Doherty · Accepted solution]

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Posting

The two major problems with continuing to run EoL equipment, when it fails, you're unable to replace it with exactly the same equipment and lack of software support if a major bug is found.  The first might be addressed by already having available replacement equipment that can be ordered when needed (with already defined supporting configurations).  The second issue is a crap shoot although using a popular Cisco device with a well wrung out IOS, you're unlikely to stumble across new bugs especially if your device usage doesn't change.  Biggest risk might be some later discovered security flaw.

I work in a "Cisco shop" (about 6,000 Cisco switches and routers) where we have production equipment that's brand new to equipment that went end of everything more than 5 years ago.  If an old box fails, we replace it with current generation equipment.  We also use new equipment for expansion or capacity improvement.

The old equipment isn't too much of a problem, as it does what it does.  (NB: we had an informal contest, who supported the box with the longest uptime.  I had a couple of boxes that were 5+ years, but these lost out to one at 7+ years - laugh.)

With the really old equipment, you do sometimes not have features you take for granted, for example, rapid-spanning tree or IPv6. So you may not want to try for any Guinness Book records.

If your projected networking requirements will remain the same, and you understand the risks and are prepared to deal with them, there's really no reason you shouldn't be able to obtain a few more years out of your existing 2800s, even EoS/EoL.

Be prepared to replaced failed equipment, and also keep in mind, newer equipment often offers more performance in "lessor" boxes, e.g. a 2851 is rated at 220 Kpps while a 2901 is rated at 327 Kpps or a 1941 is rated at 299 Kpps.