Cisco router For Home Use

[johnlwebb]

Hi everyone--

I'd like to know if you guys have any suggestions for which Cisco router I should buy for my home lab. I'd like to get one that has at least the following;

2 WAN Ports

8 Gigabit Ethernet Ports

1 Console Port

1 USB

Support for Vlan that will integrate with my CBS360-16t-E-2G Managed Switch

Supported by Cisco, I don't mind purchasing a service contract but I want to be able to open up a TAC case. 

Should be a relatively new model with little chance of becoming unsupported anytime soon.

In the $1500 range more or less... Less is better

Any suggestions would be appreciated. 

Where to buy from? I can't find any Cisco Partners that will even talk to me about it.

Thanks,

John

[Leo Laohoo]

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@johnlwebb wrote:

Should be a relatively new model with little chance of becoming unsupported anytime soon.

In the $1500 range more or less... Less is better

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$1500 for a router with 2 WAN ports and 8 switch ports?  Not possible.  

The newest router is the 1100X and they only have one WAN port.  

[balaji.bandi]

Try some RV Routers, they may end of life in a few years' time,. but worth looking it for short-term investment. and migrate new model when cisco announces for replacements.

check any one has old stock :

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/routers/small-business-rv-series-routers/series.html

is this for the Home lab, why not use it virtually for lab  ?

[Leo Laohoo]

RV routers cannot be used for "lab" or certification studies, as per the OPs said.

[balaji.bandi]

agreed ...i was in impression for home use, maybe if OP wants to for Lab, yes that is not the right product.,

That is the reason I made a suggestion thinking OP wants to use for Lab, use virtually for his studies or lab.

[johnlwebb]

Ok, so I think I will just get the C1111-4P. At CDW, I can get it with a 24x7 support contract for right at $1500. I already have a CBS350 Managed Switch with 8 ports. My ultimate goal(besides just learning) is to be able to configure the router and switch for multiple VLANS. I want to be able to separate my IOT stuff and guest WiFi from the local network. Maybe this will let me just get to learning my way around Cisco IOS XE. 

I see what you mean about the 2 WAN interfaces Leo. The price jumps up pretty good. Maybe when I learn a little more, I be able to get a higher end refurbished router. 

I went ahead and sent my C1111x-8P back to Amazon. Given that I have the  managed switch, I think I can get away with the C1111-4P. Now that I've learned a little more about dealing with cisco, I went back and looked closer at the Amazon listing. It doesn't say anything about needing a service contract. In the questions, someone asks about it and Amazon says they are an Authorized reseller and that if you buy the router, you can just go through your local Cisco Partner to get a contract. But that was not my experience at all. 

First, the Cisco partner locator is out of date. The first two I was able to get on the phone both indicated they dropped that part of their business because it was too hard to deal with Cisco. The other two I was able to get on the phone informed me they don't work with individuals only companies. And many Cisco Partners on the Web have a contact form you need to fill out. They have company as a required field and if you put a gmail address in, they wont let you complete the form. So, getting a support contract from your local Cisco Partner is not as easy as Amazon is indicating.

The easiest Cisco Partner I have found to deal with is CDW. I got someone who understands the Cisco issues on the phone and was able to pair the C1111-4P with a 1 year 24x7 Smart Net contract. I need the weekend support because that's when I am most likely to be having time to paly with it. 

It should be here sometime later this week I hope and then I will begin again. 

I probably look like a monkey with a remote control but maybe with the Community and with a little support form Cisco, I'll be able to get it all done.

Thanks to both Leo and BB for your help and suggestions. 

[Leo Laohoo]

What is the WAN speed NOW?  What is the WAN speed in the next, say, 2 years? 

I would probably not consider ISR 1100 because ISR 1100X is going to supersede it.  If I want to "future proof" my investment, I would be looking at the 1100X (slightly better CPU and more memory).  

ISR 1100/1100X is not the cheapest, however, this model can "safely" support 150 Mbps WAN speed.  I have heard of people use the 1100 for home use and they swear it will support up to 750 Mbps.

There is a cheaper model, c900 router.  ISR 1100/1100X runs on IOS-XE.  c900 runs on the highly mature classic IOS.  Because of this OS, c900 can do about 100 Mbps in Enterprise environment.  I have no idea what this tiny router can do in "home" environment.  

Both c900 and ISR 1100/1100X are "fanless" so they are ideal in some indoor locations (like on top of someone's desk).  

For home use, breaking out multiple VLANs is possible by configuring router-on-a-stick.  

When buying ISR 1100/1100X make sure to specify what OS "mode":  Standalone or SD-WAN.  Because if the router came with SD-WAN it will be a PIT-royal-A to "convert" to standalone because the method is not documented by Cisco.  

In regards to router-on-a-stick, do keep an eye out for used compact switches hitting the market in the not-so-distant future.  Models like the 2960CG/3560CG or 2960CX/3560CX is nice to have in a SOHO because these models are also "fanless".  

I have always recommended people, when buying routers, "not to skimp" on the DRAM or flash size.  Always upgrade the DRAM &/or flash size "up to the eyeballs" because it will save the hassle in the future.  

Especially with the c900 &/or ISR 1100/1100X, seriously consider getting PoE because getting the correct SKU to upgrade (to PoE) is really difficult.  

Hope this helps.

[johnlwebb]

Unfortunately, CDW has still not shipped the item I ordered, even though it indicated on their website 4-7 days. This is becoming quite the adventure. I'm thinking of cancelling the order and starting over. Maybe go back to the C1111X. It amazes me how hard it is to acquire a Cisco router that Cisco will support for home use.

[johnlwebb]

So, I just got off the phone with CDW. I asked about the order status and they indicated that the Smartnet agreement has been discontinued. Darn it. 

So, Leo or BB or anyone else, if you are tracking, what would you do? I think you both have followed my posts and understand that I want a good router for home use, preferably with two uplink capabilities and 8 GE ports. I'd like it to be a Cisco router so I can learn but it will be used in my home environment closest to my ISP in my network. I already have a CBS350 Managed Switch and I'd like it to work good with that switch for VLAN configs. Also, as I have recently learned, I need it to have a service contract so I can get TAC support and download files from Cisco.

Thanks for any input.

[balaji.bandi]

if i recollect this thread, you order a device, and cisco does not support that model's smartnet support ? or CDW ?

[Leo Laohoo]

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@johnlwebb wrote:

I need it to have a service contract so I can get TAC support and download files from Cisco.

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No, that is totally incorrect.  

Cisco has a policy which a lot of people, inside and outside of Cisco, do not like to acknowledge existed.  The policy is:  Customers without valid Service Contract can download software updates to fix known and announced software vulnerability.  The "magic phrase" is to let the Entitlements Team know the exact security vulnerability. 

And I have assisted a lot of people to this and only a handful of people have ran into problems (because reading instructions is hard).

Every manufacturer is hurt with the limited supply of chips.  This is not just affecting Cisco but everyone else.  Expect delays of up to 14 months, minimum.  

[johnlwebb]

Yeah, it's true you can work the system and get downloads to fix security issues but, I need to download files for other reasons like when I brick the router and end up in perpetual Router monitor mode with my OS blown away because I improperly reset to factory. So, the support contract is a must. 

That happened to me with the C1111X-8P I bought from Amazon and couldn't get the support contract for. I needed to download the OS files because I screwed it up not because of a security issue. 

And it's not the hardware I can't get a hold of. I can get the hardware. With CDW, they said the Smartnet service contract I purchased was discontinued and that's why they didn't send the hardware. I suppose they could be fibbing but I doubt it.

Anyway, thanks for the response. I'm still deliberating on what I need to do next. Maybe just pony up the $5K for a real router. Seems like overkill for me though. I have a habit of over buying and I'm trying not to.

I'll  check back in when I get my new hardware, whatever it may be.