Strategic Combination of Used and New Networking Equipment can Ease IPv6 Transitions
Network Hardware Resale ─ Santa Barbara, Calif. ─ June 6, 2011
News Facts
- The impending exhaustion of the Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) address space is placing increased pressure on organizations to develop a migration strategy that eases transitions while reducing cost and performance concerns.
- According to the IPv6 Forum, the remaining allocation of addresses are expected to run out sometime in 2011. As IPv6 does not include interoperability with IPv4, implementation of the new protocol creates a separate network that will need to work in parallel and independent fashion.
- Some network devices will need an IOS license upgrade to gain access to IPv6 features, which can add undue costs to constrained network budgets. Additionally, some hardware-based forwarding platforms don’t support IPv6 in hardware, which can lead to poor IPv6 performance.
- Network Hardware Resale (NHR), the leading provider of pre-owned and new networking solutions, can help organizations prepare for a smooth and cost-effective transition to IPv6 through a strategic combination of pre-owned and new equipment.
IPv6 Network Equipment Licensing and Performance Considerations
- Existing L3 network switches from Cisco support IPv6 in hardware and don’t require additional IOS licensing, including:
- Catalyst 3560 and 3750 Series Switches: Starting with IOS version 12.2(50) SE, all switches support IPv6, including IPBASE.
- Catalyst 4500 Series Switches: IPv6 forwarding in hardware is found on the WS-X45-Sup6-E,WS-X45-Sup6L-E, and WS_X45-SUP7-E Supervisor Engines. As with Cisco’s other current L3 switching platforms, IPv6 features are found in IPBASE. Older supervisor engines do not provide hardware forwarding of IPv6 data, which results in very poor IPv6 performance.
- Catalyst 4900 Series Switches: The Catalyst 4900M and Catalyst 4948E switches are the only IPv6-capable platforms in this series. Both of these products support IPv6 in all IOS images. However, older WS-C4948 and WS-C4948-10GE switches do not provide IPv6 forwarding in hardware.
- Catalyst 6500 Series Switches: Starting in IOS version 12.2(33)SXI, Cisco added IPv6 features to all IOS versions, including IPBASE and IP Services. This series of switches, with its large amount of hardware forwarding resources, is well suited for demanding IPv4/IPv6 environments. This is especially true when deployed with a Sup720-3BXL or VS-S720-10G-3CXL. However, the popular “Sup2” does not support IPv6 in hardware, making it unsuitable for an IPv6 deployment.
- Cisco 1900/2900/3900 Series Routers: ISR G2 routers now support IPv6 in IPBASE. As small routers, there is no hardware compatibility to worry about; IPv6 support is determined only by features provided in the IOS versions. Of note: older 1800/2800/3800 routers require the purchase of an IOS license (SP Services, to be specific) for IPv6 support.
- Cisco 7200 Series Routers: When using an NPE-400, NPE-G1 or NPE-G2, this series of routers will support IPv6 in IPBASE, starting with the 12.4T IOS versions. As with the small routers, this series is not a hardware-forwarding platform, so the IOS version is the only concern here.
- Cisco 7600 Series Routers: For very high performance, such as 10Gbps or higher, this series, especially when coupled with a RSP720 part (such as the RSP720-3CXL-10GE) is an outstanding and popular choice. Starting with IOS 12.2(33)SRE, IPv6 features are part of all IOS versions.
Supporting Quotes
Mike Sheldon, CEO for Network Hardware Resale:
“It’s important for organizations to know that moving to IPv6 doesn’t mean they have to ‘rip and replace’ their core network infrastructure. Fortunately, there is a large inventory of high-quality and fully tested Cisco switches and routers available on the secondary market that already support IPv6 and provide top performance at an economical price point.”
Resources
- Pre-Owned Cisco Networking Products
- Guide to Cisco’s Newest Releases
- Procurement and Refurbishment Quality
- NetSure Alternative Maintenance
- More news from NHR
About Network Hardware Resale
Network Hardware Resale (NHR) is the leading provider of pre-owned and new networking solutions. Based in Santa Barbara, Calif., the company is an independent reseller of pre-owned Cisco, Juniper and Foundry networking equipment as well as an authorized reseller of resilient, scalable equipment from Dell Networking. NHR also offers cost-effective network management, asset management, alternative maintenance and technical support services and is an authorized reseller of Cirtas Bluejet Cloud Storage Controllers. Founded in 1986, NHR provides global sales and technical support from its California, Dallas metro, New York City metro, Amsterdam, London and Singapore locations. Organizations worldwide purchase quality networking equipment from NHR, including Global 1000 companies, small and mid-sized enterprises, government entities, educational institutions, healthcare organizations and telecommunications service providers. For more information, visit www.networkhardware.com.
