Request Recommendation for Router Platform

[jimb]

We are looking at router platforms for future growth. We will be multihomed between two service providers through which we intend to advertise our own IP routes. Since our handoffs from the two upstream providers will be via Ethernet, I have considered using switches for the routing and BGP provisioning, but I am also concerned about processing power and memory issues as we grow, which points me to the 7200 series with the 2G processor.

Any guidance or recommendations would be appreciated.

[paul.matthews]

Some of the larger switches have quite a bit of CPU and memory available.

What will you be doing about firewalling? Will you be getting full routing tables from both ISPs? Do you want to avoid being a transit network? (the latter is more a remnder to be careful with your BGP config as a lack of care could lead to you being a transit link between the ISPs...

Is there anything else that you mway wish to do, like VPNs etc? A 6500 may be a good idea if you would like to consider adding FW blades and VPN modules. The 7200 would almost certainly make a very good job of it, and is unlikely to be a bad choice.

Paul.

[Joseph W. Doherty]

Some switch platforms shouldn't be much of concern for performance or memory, for example the 7600 series.

One issue I recall having with the 2G processors is they don't have mainline (except for T train) or GD IOS.