I'm curious about the best practices for managing network switches, like Cisco or Dell models, that are nearing their End of Life (EOL). If you purchase a switch that is already late in its product lifecycle but is still relatively new, what steps do you typically take in this situation?
5 Answers
We've had great luck with a reseller that offers refurbished hardware. They give us quick swaps for broken parts, and it’s always hassle-free! If you need long-term support, having a good relationship with a parts supplier makes a big difference.
You could look for third-party vendors that provide warranties or services for EOL equipment. We've done this before, and it's been a budget-friendly solution! Just ensure you have the right firmware ready, just in case you need to restore it later. They've sent us replacement parts when needed, which has saved us a lot.
It really depends on your specific situation. If you're in a high-security environment, you might want to upgrade your hardware to avoid any risks. However, if you're okay with a bit of risk, you could stick with the current switch and just focus on keeping its firmware up to date.
In our company, we typically budget for hardware replacement as we hit the end of software support. Keeping unsupported devices in production is rare for us. Remember, when you buy gear near EOL, try to get a good deal, and focus on updating firmware promptly so that it doesn't leave you stranded when you need support.
Once software support is gone, I usually wipe the device and recycle it. I don’t keep any hardware that won't receive security updates, as that poses too much of a risk.
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