I use the router to connect to the internet.
Excellent stability and reliability with an easy initial setup
Pros and Cons
- "The stability of the solution's router is its most valuable feature."
- "The configuration needs improvement. Most routers, like HP or Aruba, use a UI interface. Those solutions are similar and uniform. It's easier for us compared to Cisco because with Cisco you are not using normal commands. They need to enhance the UI to make it more usable."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The stability of the solution's router is its most valuable feature.
What needs improvement?
The configuration needs improvement. Most routers, like HP or Aruba, use a UI interface. Those solutions are similar and uniform. It's easier for us compared to Cisco because with Cisco you are not using normal commands. They need to enhance the UI to make it more usable.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for ten years or so.
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Cisco Enterprise Routers
January 2025
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of the solution is fantastic. We haven't touched it for five years now. You just set it and forget it.
How are customer service and support?
We don't contact Cisco technical support directly. If we have a problem, we can contact any one of the Cisco suppliers and they are able to give good support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I didn't previously use a different solution.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was easy. Deployment only took one day.
What other advice do I have?
I'd recommend the solution. Once you plug it in, you can basically forget about it because there are never any issues. It just works, and that's great. I'd rate it ten out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Head of IT Department at Silver Springs Hotel
An extremely stable and reliable device that performs well
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is very stable. I have not seen any downtime due to the product freezing or anything like that. It performs well and hasn't required reboots unless it's to troubleshoot with a support service provider needing configuration. It doesn't overheat and it's on 24/7."
- "If I only have one LAN port in which I want to connect more than one device, I have to buy an add-on card so that I can have two LAN ports. The smaller devices and low-end routers have about four LAN ports. This solution is a high-end device but has only one. It would be preferable if they offered more LAN ports."
What is most valuable?
The solution is very stable. I have not seen any downtime due to the product freezing or anything like that. It performs well and hasn't required reboots unless it's to troubleshoot with a support service provider needing configuration. It doesn't overheat and it's on 24/7.
What needs improvement?
It would be great if there was a graphical user interface or something to interface with the router.
If I only have one LAN port in which I want to connect more than one device, I have to buy an add-on card so that I can have two LAN ports. The smaller devices and low-end routers have about four LAN ports. This solution is a high-end device but has only one. It would be preferable if they offered more LAN ports.
I don't know whether the solution can be cloud-managed. When I am away from work, it would be great if I could still have access and manage things, check the configuration, etc. Right now, I don't have a way of monitoring things if I am not at my desk.
I need a feature introduced where I can be able to tell if my provider is giving me constant capacity. The solution should be able to alert me to when the capacity fluctuates so I can go back to my provider and tell ask them why they are giving me less capacity than I am paying for.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for more than ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of the solution is very, very good.
There was a time I was experiencing some issues with the low-end Cisco router, the 800 series, but I upgraded to the enterprise option and its performance has been remarkable, I have no complaints whatsoever.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We haven't attempted to scale the solution, so I can't really speak to if it's easy or difficult.
How are customer service and technical support?
I've not engaged with Cisco technical support directly, but the resellers supporting us have been excellent. I prefer to work with the internet service providers because they are the ones who sold the Cisco router to me and they've been supporting me very well and I am happy with their assistance.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We didn't really use another solution, at least not on a large scale. We did use some small routers like Linksys for a handful of people. For the purpose of our internet connectivity from the service provider to my company, I wanted to use Cisco.
How was the initial setup?
Deployment took some time. One person came in to terminate cable. Then, the next day, they sent someone to configure the router which took three hours. Some of the settings weren't quite working right, which is why it took that long.
What about the implementation team?
The initial setup was done by my internet service provider because they did not want anyone to tamper with their configuration.
What other advice do I have?
We operate a hotel and we have clients who are logging into the WiFi all the time. We need to give them good connectivity. Sometimes we get as many as 500 connections and we know that with Cisco unless the service provider lets us down, the device won't fail. It's a very good product.
I'd recommend the solution. I'd rate it ten out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Enterprise Routers
January 2025
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Enterprise Routers. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2025.
831,265 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Network Admin at Naivas Ltd
A solution for networking with easy setup and CLI
Pros and Cons
- "The valuable feature is CLI."
What is most valuable?
The valuable feature is CLI.
What needs improvement?
For deployment, you need a tech-savvy individual with extensive CLI experience. Occasional troubleshooting may require remote access, which could pose a minor challenge. The centralized management system simplifies patching, deployment, and configuration tasks, making it easier for tech-savvy personnel to support and maintain the equipment.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco Enterprise Routers for two or three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
They are stable. We don't have constraints in terms of deployment.
I rate the solution’s stability a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have a team of ten with the main configuration.
I rate the solution’s scalability an eight out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
We need assistance regarding the GUI feature.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup takes around 30 to one hour, depending on the configuration and the person’s technical ability.
I rate the initial setup a five out of ten, where one is difficult and ten is easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I rate the product’s pricing a seven out of ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive.
What other advice do I have?
One person is enough for the deployment, depending on the nation and the quantity configured. We don't have a centralized model through which you can deploy configuration.
I would recommend it for security.
Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Senior Security Engineer at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
A scalable solution with great DNS features
Pros and Cons
- "Cisco provides most of the needed features in all the routers."
- "Cisco is not granular if we compare it to Juniper."
What is our primary use case?
It is used for small to medium businesses. Nowadays, there are so many other routers with different operating systems, XR, and DSR that are available for service providers in other data centers.
What is most valuable?
The DNS features are different in the ASR series. Apart from that, Cisco provides most of the needed features in all the routers, except the live local license.
What needs improvement?
In my opinion, Cisco is not granular if we compare it to Juniper. In terms of the access lists and some other parts like if we delete one ACL, most of the parties are gone on the Cisco side. But in Juniper, I can delete fifty access lists.
All the rules and policies are also granular and are based on the UNIX operating system or Linux operating system. Cisco needs to consider those in the market because Juniper is doing well. Some granular functions are required because they have all of the routing protocols with almost all the features.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco Enterprise Routers for 10-12 years, since the company launched the Cisco 1841 router.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
There are no issues with scalability. I rate the scalability a nine out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
I have never contacted customer service apart from once or twice. But it was not regarding the router’s features rather there were some issues in FPD.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. Most of the people can understand and do it on their own. As far as the management platform is considered, hybrid solutions are being used by large enterprises. Some other enterprises use Meraki-based solutions as well, and some of them use the on-prem solution.
What about the implementation team?
I implemented it myself.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It is quite costly for the same feature as compared to Huawei and Juniper. I rate the pricing an eight out of ten.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the solution a nine out of ten. I recommend Cisco.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Issue-free with good connectivity and very reliable
Pros and Cons
- "It is issue-free."
- "The security of the solution could be a bit better."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for connecting clients. It's for routing purposes.
What is most valuable?
The solution offers good connectivity.
It is issue-free.
The product has been stable and reliable.
It can scale.
What needs improvement?
The cost is a bit high.
The security of the solution could be a bit better.
There are some complex aspects of the solution during the initial setup.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's stable and reliable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable. It's easy to expand.
We have a variety of clients using the solution.
How are customer service and support?
I've never used the technical support of Cisco.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I only really use Cisco devices. I used a few different options before I used Cisco.
How was the initial setup?
The setup can be a bit complex. It depends on the implementation.
The deployment took about one month.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is too expensive. The company needs to pay for the licensing annually.
What other advice do I have?
I'd recommend the solution to other users.
I'd rate the product ten out of ten.
I'm quite happy with the solution overall.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Senior Network Engineer at a legal firm with 201-500 employees
Is complete in terms of features and is flexible
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature is the flexibility of the devices. Also, from a feature perspective, Cisco Enterprise Routers are complete."
- "The licensing structure is very convoluted, and the cost of the licenses includes a whole bunch of stuff that you'll never use."
What is our primary use case?
I use this solution for edge connectivity. It provides connectivity between our offices and the cloud.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is the flexibility of the devices. Also, from a feature perspective, Cisco Enterprise Routers are complete.
What needs improvement?
The licensing structure is very convoluted, and the cost of the licenses includes a whole bunch of stuff that you'll never use.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using Cisco Enterprise Routers for 10 years.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I would rate Cisco Enterprise Routers at nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Solutions Architect at Terrific Tech
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."
- "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.
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 technical 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: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Solution System Engineer at a comms service provider with 1-10 employees
Top-notch security with a simplified process for branching and networking
Pros and Cons
- "The solution provides the best security available and simplifies the process for branches and networking."
- "The solution is difficult to implement without a broad knowledge base."
What is our primary use case?
Our company was contracted to change switches and routers for government offices, clinics, police departments, and armed forces.
The solution was part of a massive upgrade in technology government-wide and we were one of many subcontractors working on the project.
How has it helped my organization?
Our country is five or ten years behind in technology and generally slow to react.
Cisco partnering with our government was very important because it motivated us to learn the solution, expand our portfolio, and move technology forward while serving as expert technicians for deployments and maintenance.
What is most valuable?
The solution provides the best security available and simplifies the process for branches and networking.
What needs improvement?
The solution is difficult to implement without a broad knowledge base.
Subnetting for large organizations is complicated because you must understand the company hierarchy before starting to subnet. The process can be difficult so it helps to have experience or rely on other team members for advice.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I do not monitor stability in my position but the solution has a reputation for being top-notch so stability must be good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I only handled installations but the solution must be scalable because it was deployed across all government offices.
How are customer service and support?
Supervisors at our company partnered with technical support to ensure seamless implementations.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is complicated and requires knowledge of the solution.
We opted to work in teams so we would have more knowledge in the field for implementations. Each site team consisted of 14 technicians and there were more than 1,000 technicians across all sites.
We first analyzed existing routers and switches to provide supervisors with a list of equipment to be replaced. We then prepared installation and configuration plans to ensure seamless implementations.
What about the implementation team?
Our company replaced old hardware and worked in partnership with Cisco to configure and implement the solution.
Implementation and maintenance requires two to four technicians.
What was our ROI?
It helped our company to learn the solution and partner with the government which includes some of the largest organizations in our country.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Cisco has a partnership with our government and provides the main solution in Botswana.
No other options were evaluated because our government believes that Cisco provides the best security in a comprehensive package that matches desired standards.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
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