More and more Cisco users think about purchasing used / refurbished hardware, like switches, routers, servers, wireless, interfaces, SFP modules, transceivers etc. Why? Because of the long lead times and high pricing. It's a real issue on the market nowdays. Even Cisco provides used equipment, they call it "Cisco Refresh", here are some information on it: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/remanufactured.html.
After all it's safe to buy Cisco equipment on the second hand market, in order to help you to decide what to do, we put together a good summary on the pros and cons on this topic.
PRO: Used Cisco products help you to save up to 80% of your budget (compared to list prices). Cisco is a very trusted brand for a reason, but they are famous for their high pricing. Whether you have a particularly limited IT budget to work with, or you just want to save as much money as possible, getting pre-owned Cisco products is a great solution.
PRO: Shipping time is about 1-2 weeks maximum. In 2022 / 2023 it's a huge benefit. Cisco has 6-12 months lead time and with that is hard to plan and execute projects.
PRO: Avoiding a complete network upgrade. Normally an organization has that "in-between" stages where some new equipment need to be installed, but a full upgrade is not necessary. Purchasing used / refurbished equipment can help you to get the most out of your existing network / infrastructure.
PRO: Helping the environment. Buying used things is being more and more promoted, for a reason, learn more about this topic here: https://www.server-parts.eu/post/refurbished-hardware-means-sustainability.
PRO: Flexible support plan. Your equipment always comes with warranty, normally 1-2-3 years. You can also get a warranty extension if needed, so you can really plan out everything and be flexible with the support contracts without overpaying.
CON: Lot of unreiable sources. Don't use ebay or other similar websites, always make sure that you deal with a trusted company and the equipment comes with legit warranty. Always get a contact person from the company, give them a call, email with them.
CON: Cisco doesn't like if you buy hardware from a different source. Of course, nobody likes losing business. They often try to create FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt).
CON: A lot of not original Cisco equipment on the market. If you are looking for a Switch (Catalys) or Router, Server etc, make sure that it's original. If it's just some transceivers, the non original ones can work just fine.
If you are interested in a quote, get in touch: info@server-parts.eu