Where Can I Find a History of Cisco Devices?

[jrberger111]

I was wondering if there was a place where I can find a history of Cisco Devices, such as routers, switches, firewalls, etc. For example, if I wanted to know the history of Intel processors, there are many websites that show a pretty elaborate picture of release dates, specs, prices, and models. Is there an equivalent for Cisco Devices?

[Giuseppe Larosa]

Hello @jrberger111 , @Braulio11 ,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cisco_Systems

Cisco started making routers late 80's.

Cisco history is full of acquisitions:

After having been quoted at Nasdaq Cisco had the moeny to buy other companies:

Catalyst : they made the modular C4500 and modular C6500 with CatOS I have worked on them. Later Cisco Catalyst switches became running IOS and later nowdays IOS XE.

Meraki:

Firepower:   

Among the most important devices:

Cisco router 2500 the first device shipped in more then 1,000,000

Cisco router 7200 and 7500

Cisco GSR 12000 later IOS XR enabled

Carrier devices:

IOS XR 32 bit microkernel on CRS-1

CRS-3 amd CRS-X

ASR-9000, ASR-9900

Datacenter switches:

Nexus 7000 and then others 5500, 5000. 3000. 3500, 9300 series

WLC .....

Hope to help

Giuseppe

[jrberger111]

Thanks! So there is no site that explains the general price of Cisco Systems or shows incremental upgrades to the devices? Like as a beginner, I don't know the difference between a Cisco Router 7200 and 7500. Is there a numbering convention or does one just have to memorize all the differences of common cisco devices?

[Giuseppe Larosa]

Hello @jrberger111 ,

C7200 was and is a SW based router based on two PCI buses and modular.

C7500 was declared to be the first distrbuted platform using VIP linecards

each vIP linecard could host two Port adapters.

C7200 and C7500 could use the same port adapters examle 4 etheternet , 1 FE or  2 x FE , 6 x 2 Mbps serial and so on..

C7504, C7507 had a single 1 Ge bus. C7513 two 1 Gbps shared buses.

Firwall PIX was again a PC with LAN interfaces.

And so on.

I have been working on data networks since 1997.

Hope to help

Giuseppe

[Georg Pauwen]

The attached image used to be around and looked at a lot...

[Georg Pauwen]

Hello,

I guess what you are looking for is a product timeline. The site below has a pretty nice slide show (start at slide 27 for a timeline for routers).

https://prezi.com/vnvyc_3neidk/build-and-evolution-of-cisco-routers/

There is a computer history museum in Mountain View, if you ever make it there, you can see a lot of 'historical' devices. Oddly enough, anything older than 10 years is museum worthy, that is how fast technology ages.

https://computerhistory.org/timelines/