I'm curious about how others approach refreshing their switching hardware. I've worked in environments where high-end devices from companies like Cisco and Aruba have lasted for a decade without any major issues. I understand that once a line reaches its end of life (EOL) and stops receiving updates, it's time to replace it. However, I'm looking for insights on what others do in terms of planning for hardware refreshes beyond that point.
4 Answers
Our general practice is to use routers, switches, and wireless gear until they reach the end of vulnerability support. With roughly a 10-year lifespan for our devices, firewalls get a refresh every 5 years due to manufacturer policies. We typically don’t keep any gear that stops receiving software updates around.
I typically let my Cisco gear run until it hits EOL, especially if there's no pressing need for more bandwidth or additional ports. Keeping devices under a support contract is essential, though.
For our critical equipment, we run it until it reaches EOL or EOS. The less critical devices can stay in service until they fail, especially since many of our Aruba switches have a lifetime warranty. We only consider upgrades if there's a new Wi-Fi standard that we need, and we've just deployed Wi-Fi 6 last year at headquarters. Firewalls get closer to a 5-year refresh though, just to be safe.
I usually wait until the end of service date is announced before I start worrying about replacements. Unless we notice common issues, like with certain early HPE models, I see no reason to replace them too early.
That makes sense! Staying updated on vulnerability support is critical for security.