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Solutions Architect at Terrific Tech
Real User
Top 10
Oct 15, 2019
A stable solution with good technical support for interconnecting our branch offices
Pros and Cons
  • "Cisco has one of the best products in terms of routing because of the protocols in which they provide."
  • "Cisco has one of the best products in terms of routing because of the protocols in which they provide."
  • "In terms of room for improvement, I think that there is a need for additional administration."
  • "In terms of room for improvement, I think that there is a need for additional administration."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution for interconnecting our branch offices. We have six branches in addition to our head office.

All of our routers are on-premises deployments.

What is most valuable?

The Cisco routers are very stable.

We can use these routers for multiple links, so in terms of scalability, it's a plus for us.

Cisco has one of the best products in terms of routing because of the protocols in which they provide.

What needs improvement?

In terms of room for improvement, I think that there is a need for additional administration. We have seen other products, such as the Cisco Email Security Appliance and the Cisco Web Security Appliance, now have a web-based interface. We would like to see this in the routers, as well. It would make our administration easier.

Considering the increase in data that is being processed across networks, I think that increasing the CPU size to boost processing power would be wise. People are now trying to do more analytics, so this would be helpful.

I think that it would be better for analytics if the local storage, on the router itself, were increased. This would allow us to store more data for analysis as we are trying to secure our network.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using this solution for about six years.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is a very stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability of this solution is good.

These routers support a user base of about seven hundred and fifty people. We do not immediately plan on increasing our usage, although as the economy grows, we can see increasing our user base to perhaps one thousand users in two years. It will increase as we open more branch offices.

How are customer service and support?

We have reached out to Cisco's technical support, and in the past six years, the service and support have been excellent. We are happy with the turnaround times.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Cisco is very a popular vendor in this country, so I have been using Cisco products all along, in terms of routing. I have not been exposed to other technologies.

How was the initial setup?

The basic setup is pretty straightforward, although we have reached out to Cisco for help when we needed to implement tight security and integration with other Cisco products.

We have a technical team of about ten people who manage these routers. There are six system administrations and three people in the head office.

What about the implementation team?

We used our Cisco Premier Partner, who are local, to assists us with these solutions.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Cisco is mid-tier in terms of pricing and quite affordable by most enterprises.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

There are some people trying to introduce other technology such as Check Point and Juniper, but our Enterprise customers rely on Cisco.

What other advice do I have?

Mostly, this is a very good product.

I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Senior Consultant at Circles Consulting
Consultant
Mar 31, 2019
The statistics show you a full brief of every user, every type of connection used, and the total bandwidth used
Pros and Cons
  • "It has provided us a more secure environment, especially the firewall. We've had multiple attempts of network intrusion which have been defeated due to the firewall rules in place."
  • "It integrates very well into our network and we find it to be extremely robust and durable."
  • "Their support has room for improvement. The regional agents are not that great."
  • "Their support has room for improvement. The regional agents are not that great."

What is our primary use case?

The statistics show you a full brief of every user, every type of connection used, and the total bandwidth used. We control our VPNs through it and our actual line of defense for our security is the Cisco firewall. We have four different fiber connections and two satellite connections connected to our offices. They all load balance through Cisco and another analytics device. It integrates very well into our network and we find it to be extremely robust and durable.

How has it helped my organization?

It has provided us a more secure environment, especially the firewall. We've had multiple attempts of network intrusion which have been defeated because of the firewall rules in place. 

What needs improvement?

Their support has room for improvement. The regional agents are not that great.

The devices can be a bit of an energy hog. We would like to see a more durable power supply system because being in a third world country we have frequent power outages and it takes a bit of time for our generators and stuff to kick in which then leads to power surges and whatnot. Even with the proper power management system, it can also affect the devices themselves.

For how long have I used the solution?

More than five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We're extremely satisfied with the stability. We've had around two or three outages in the last 18 years.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We are very limited in terms of scalability. We're a small firm, we hardly have 30 people. 

Our entire company uses it. We're all on the network. We have 152 users right now and we support about another 135 mobile devices. They're all financial institutions. 

How are customer service and technical support?

Cisco support itself is excellent. Some of the resellers are very good but some aren't.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was quite easy. Our employees are Cisco certified so they are familiar with the setup and activities of the products. The very initial setup was in 2001. After that, we just swapped it for the updated rules of the devices. That's all we had to do. It's been a seamless integration and a seamless upgrade with very minimal downtime. 

Our implementation strategy was that we had to open an office in 30 days. It took us about two weeks to wire the entire office up and put the hardware in place. It was a total initial build so we had no issues at all. Everything was covered. We did have serious problems where we had the wiring issues and whatnot, but otherwise, it was business as usual.

We have three people in our network department who oversee the devices, maintenance and whatever needs to be done. We have two technicians and one Cisco certified tech.

What about the implementation team?

Our initial setup was done by a Cisco reseller. We had a good experience with them and we had normal issues. We had issues with one of our appliances that had gone down and we couldn't get a replacement but that was an issue on their part.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Our issues are basically currency related. The licensing is in dollars and the dollar is steadily rising. We've had an increase in the licensing fee due to the simple reason that the exchange rate is almost over 40%. That creates a major issue. If the currency devaluation doesn't stabilize, we may have to look at another solution.

What other advice do I have?

I would advise someone outside the US to consider the issues that we're facing right now, the currency devaluation and licensing fees.

I would rate it a nine out of ten because we haven't had any major issues with it.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
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System Engineer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Dec 19, 2018
This solution is very durable and does not have any downtime.
Pros and Cons
  • "This solution helps us with our inter-network constitution, and that works for us."
  • "I think the network backup for this solution is solid, and is worthwhile for any company to consider."
  • "The cost is prohibitive."
  • "The pricing is a huge issue. I had to convince my company to purchase this solution. It is very expensive, and prohibitive."

What is our primary use case?

This solution helps us with our inter-network constitution, and that works for us.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the configuration that is involved with iOS. In addition, it is very durable. It does not have downtime.

What needs improvement?

It comes with 3-1 default box and other parts. You have to buy additional lamp parts, which adds to the cost if they could, but affect the number of parts with the default configuring.

For how long have I used the solution?

More than five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is quite impressive. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is good. It is durable, and quite good.

How is customer service and technical support?

I have not used tech support.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was very good. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing is a huge issue. I had to convince my company to purchase this solution. It is very expensive, and prohibitive. 

What other advice do I have?

I think the network backup for this solution is solid, and is worthwhile for any company to consider.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer941463 - PeerSpot reviewer
Manager at a tech company with 51-200 employees
User
Oct 17, 2018
I find their user interface easy to use in getting simple to complex tasks completed, even after not using it for a while.
Pros and Cons
  • "I extensively used site-to-site VPNs, access control, etc., linking remote sites to the central location to create a highly distributed organization."
  • "Its routers are versatile, reliable, and capable."
  • "Its routers are versatile, reliable, and capable."
  • "Recently, there seems to be a lot of people who are leaning towards Juniper CLI, which is easier to pick up."
  • "Recently, there seems to be a lot of people who are leaning towards Juniper CLI, which is easier to pick up."

What is our primary use case?

Installed at many locations using a hub-and-spoke design to connect remote sites to central locations over GRE tunnels.

How has it helped my organization?

  • Its routers are versatile, reliable, and capable. 
  • I find their user interface easy to use in getting simple to complex tasks completed, even after not using it for a while.

What is most valuable?

I extensively used site-to-site VPNs, access control, etc., linking remote sites to the central location to create a highly distributed organization.

What needs improvement?

Recently, there seems to be a lot of people who are leaning towards Juniper CLI, which is easier to pick up.

For how long have I used the solution?

One to three years.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Infrastructure Specialist at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Top 20
Mar 21, 2016
Everything is well documented on the Cisco DOC site, with a lot of deployment scenarios as well in others sites around the web.
Pros and Cons
  • "This is the Enterprise Class solution for Routing, all technologies needed for now and for the future are supported."
  • "It is can be very expensive and licensing complex."

What is most valuable?

This is the Enterprise Class solution for Routing, all technologies needs for now and for the future are supported. Everything is well documented in Cisco DOC site, with a lot of deployment scenarios as well in others sites around the web. Technically it is incontestable.

How has it helped my organization?

Solved most communications needs and trouble scenarios.

What needs improvement?

I cannot see any, maybe more new technologies that we unknown.

For how long have I used the solution?

For eight years and counting.

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

A lot, but the majority is due to vendor incompatibility with others and errors in deployment.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

None.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It dependent of the scenario and technical use and needs.

How are customer service and technical support?

Customer Service:

Very good.

Technical Support:

Very Good.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Yes, it depends of the customer's budget and management directions.

How was the initial setup?

Very easy in all the ways.

What about the implementation team?

In-house one.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It is can be very expensive and licensing complex.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Yes, Juniper and Brocade solutions.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Infrastructure Connectivity Engineer at Reputable Service Company
Consultant
Feb 16, 2016
Unlike the legacy fixed IOS, it has a modular IOS form. However, it's expensive and needs to be made more affordable for SMEs.
Pros and Cons
  • "It's got fantastic throughput which meets most of the network Gbps/Tbps data throughput in Next-Generation Networks (NGN) that are in use in today's industry."
  • "Cost is very expensive, it needs to be reviewed for affordability by SMEs."

Valuable Features:

It's got fantastic throughput which meets most of the network Gbps/Tbps data throughput in Next-Generation Networks (NGN) that are in use in today's industry.

Improvements to My Organization:

  • Higher switching capacity
  • Feature-rich for almost all requirements
  • Modular IOS form, unlike the legacy fixed IOS which is prone to single point of crash for all services and features on it.

Room for Improvement:

Cost is very expensive, it needs to be reviewed for affordability by SMEs. They are on the high side for some SMEs who are willing to deploy high standard IT solution powered by Cisco but most of the time, they are not able to afford Cisco SME products.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
ICT Manager at a aerospace/defense firm
Real User
Jul 7, 2015
It's easy to deploy if you know what you are doing, but if you want to improve, you have to upgrade the hardware.
Pros and Cons
  • "Automatic calls routing depending on certain conditions such as dialled digits and received calls allows us to automatically select which telecom provider to use for certain calls."

    What is most valuable?

    SIP and MGCP - the router is a voice gateway router which terminates all calls to and from the PSTN.

    How has it helped my organization?

    Automatic calls routing depending on certain conditions such as dialled digits and received calls. We can automatically select which telecom provider to use for certain calls.

    What needs improvement?

    Nothing that I can think of. If you want to improve, you have the choice to upgrade the hardware.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've used it for four years.

    What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

    No issues encountered.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It's been very stable since deployment.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    No scalability issues.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    Customer Service:

    Excellent customer service.

    Technical Support:

    I never had an issue yet with this product which required TAC intervention but from my previous experience Cisco TAC support is the best.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    We were using the old Telco PABX and had to switch over to VoIP because it was irrelevant and incompatible.

    How was the initial setup?

    It's easy to deploy if you know what you are doing, and have a proper migration plan.

    What about the implementation team?

    It was an in-house deployment.

    What was our ROI?

    It's high.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    It's worth the price you pay.

    What other advice do I have?

    It's best for branch office deployment.

    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    PeerSpot user
    Network Engineer & Web Developer at OneTexh
    Vendor
    Jul 21, 2013
    Huawei is unable to achieve Cisco's level of quality

    The wireless router is probably the most important part of our daily life for network configuration.
    It is the main door to connect to the Internet, and then share the network or WI-Fi signal for all connected devices. Director for, as well as file sharing, voice over IP, remote access and other services, according to the VPN.
    The router is functioning normally 24-7. There are thousands of data packets to pass through every day, and is expected to run smoothly. Paradoxically, it is also a unit of less interest to most people. In fact, it has been observed that when not working properly, Router which is not only fast but feature rich is also very important to have a reliable option.
    In my opinion, Cisco’s enterprise products contains important features like WAN ports, LAN ports, Integrated Service Router (ISR) capability which perform multimedia streamlines, transforms service delivery for cloud and cell phone device connectivity. Another feature of the Cisco enterprise Router is that all the ISR routers have Cisco proprietary protocol IGRP , EIGRP (the popular Cisco’s protocols) and Cisco discovery protocol . Wireless enterprise Router provides security in four forms like WPA2, WPA2-Enterprise, WPA-Enterprise, WPA which ensures better security through 128 bit encryption (up to 256 bit encryption is possible). From an administration point of view, I feel that it's easy for the Admin. To configure a router through its CLI interface. Now a day all he latest version of Cisco handles IPV6 integration and usage.
    Counterparts of Cisco are the juniper and Huawei which have no any specialized proprietary protocols which still cause them to lay down in front of Cisco’s routers. Huawei introduces many router rich in feature in low price but still it is unable to achieve that level of quality. The router is simple to install, setup and maintain , friendly and top notch GUI to configure through both web base or CLI base platforms.
    Disadvantage
    I didn’t find any disadvantage except the energy utilization and power consumption which has been compensated in new handy versions of Routers . Also the Cisco proprietary protocols (EIGRP, IGRP and CDP) can best be utilized with the Cisco’s router only.

    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    it_user7944 - PeerSpot reviewer
    it_user7944Network Engineer & Web Developer at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
    Vendor

    Hi Dylan

    Thanks for reaching out. As from your comment, it seems that you are asking and offering me at the same time:) right? So I have no new projects right now. And what I am getting from Cisco's router is the thing I observed during my usage of Cisco's router and if any other things come up, I will let you know.

    See all 2 comments
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