I still have my doubs for an open-source router replacing High-end cisco routers at large corporations. Even if it is working good and the performance is the same a real cisco router throught raw processing power. Large corporation have extensive support from Cisco, if something goes wrong they build the complete sitation of the company in their lab, copying the IOSses and the customers configuration on it and solves your problem. That is something the open-source community cannot guarantee. If thousands of employees cannot connect to the ERP systems anymore, is the cost of Cisco router only peanuts in comparison of the lost of productivity for one day.
It's mainly the support you are paying the big buck for.
I'm very pro open source project for databases, OSses,... since no vendor in that area is going to completely replicate your network at their premisis to simulate and solve your problem even with the most expensive support contracts. So you need a third party to do the problem solving anyway.
Other: Cisco PIX Firewall For those who want te build their onw "Cisco" Firewall (PIX) from some old PC hardware take a look at this : http://www.packetattack.com/frankenpix.html
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I still have my doubs for an open-source router replacing High-end cisco routers at large corporations. Even if it is working good and the performance is the same a real cisco router throught raw processing power.
Large corporation have extensive support from Cisco, if something goes wrong they build the complete sitation of the company in their lab, copying the IOSses and the customers configuration on it and solves your problem.
That is something the open-source community cannot guarantee.
If thousands of employees cannot connect to the ERP systems anymore, is the cost of Cisco router only peanuts in comparison of the lost of productivity for one day.
It's mainly the support you are paying the big buck for.
I'm very pro open source project for databases, OSses,... since no vendor in that area is going to completely replicate your network at their premisis to simulate and solve your problem even with the most expensive support contracts. So you need a third party to do the problem solving anyway.
Other:
Cisco PIX Firewall
For those who want te build their onw "Cisco" Firewall (PIX) from some old PC hardware take a look at this : http://www.packetattack.com/frankenpix.html