Re: Cisco vs. Linux

From: Cedric Blancher (blancher_at_cartel-securite.fr)
Date: 12/09/03 

Date: Tue, 09 Dec 2003 15:12:48 +0100

Dans sa prose, RayL nous ecrivait :
> I have the chance to take a Cisco class on the cheap but my time is rather
> valuable. In trying to determine whether it's worthwhile or not I just
> wanted to know how using lower-end Cisco equipment compares to using a
> Linux box.
> I usually go with dedicated hardware because I think it's more reliable
> (this has been Linksys router vs. Linux). But I was also wondering about
> the relative capabilities.

If you think of hardware reliability, you can get PC hardware with flash
storage (64Mo or 128Mo are enough) and you will get something as robust as
a dedicated router, that often relies on the same kind of hardware
(some Linksys products are Linux based).

Concerning features, lower-Cisco equipments are RAM and flash restricted
to values that sometimes can prevent one from installing or simply
using useful features because you don't have enough RAM or flash or you
do not have proper IOS version. Linux won't have this kind of issue, as
any supported feature will be available without hardware or licensing
restriction. I had a router on which I couldn't use inter-VLAN routing
without upgrading IOS, that I couldn't do because this plateforme did not
support required RAM and flash amount...

>From my experience, I prefer Linux boxes to low-end routers because I can
use all functionalities I want without RAM, flash, IOS or sometimes
full plateform update. For some application (network core, high trafic
link), I tend to prefer dedicated hardware, but at least, with Linux, I
can test and validate features and architectures for future deploiements
on higher end vendor routers. 

-- 
 je vous rappelle qu'il est fréquenté par une moyenne d'âge plus faible
 que la moyenne. C'est facile de mettre des lois abscons, qui n'évoluent
 pas à la vitesse du net, et de dire "eh ben vous n'aviez qu'à lire"
 -+- DP in : Guide du Neuneu d'Usenet - Si ya plus moyen de moyenner -+-

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Microsoft tries to polish a turd
    ... Toshiba A300 lapdog with 3 GB RAM!! ... Linux will find enough of my hardware to make it useful. ...
    (sci.electronics.design)
  • Re: No Ram in Task Manager
    ... That's why I suggested the live Ubuntu CD. ... This problem *did* start while you were using Linux, ... and the ram tests fine i have swapped them but still no change bios says i ... almost certainly has nothing to do with the OS but rather with hardware. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support)
  • Re: Suggestion needed on Embedded Linux support for my board
    ... That particular ARM chip does not have enough RAM or Flash to support ... Linux or uClinux and the LPC also doesn't have the required MMU for ... lot of external RAM and Flash could be made to run uClinux. ...
    (comp.os.linux.embedded)
  • Re: Possible dcache BUG
    ... >> passes over the whole gig of ram with no errors. ... >> Or does linux have a hardware test suite I've not heard about? ... and memtest86 just isn't stressful enough to ...
    (Linux-Kernel)
  • Re: Microsoft tries to polish a turd
    ... Toshiba A300 lapdog with 3 GB RAM!! ... Linux will find enough of my hardware to make it useful. ... I was running SuSE 9.0 on it for a year or so, ...
    (sci.electronics.design)
Loading