Myths and misconceptions surround the market for refurbished Cisco equipment, creating unnecessary fear, uncertainty and doubt. Many of these misconceptions have been precipitated by OEMs; no doubt because some have admitted they look upon the used Cisco market as their No. 1 competitor.

To set the record straight, it's time to debunk some of the commonly heard myths about refurbished Cisco equipment.

Myth #1 - The Secondary Market = The Gray Market
In reality, the two markets should not be painted with the same brush. In fact, most reputable sellers of refurbished Cisco equipment have more stringent practices in place to detect black market or counterfeit goods than most OEMs and VARs/distributors. Product packaging is not a reliable way to judge authenticity, which is why the best used Cisco marketers conduct extensive tests on all used Cisco equipment resold to prove legitimacy. In addition to setting high standards, top providers in the used Cisco market are working closely with law enforcement to eradicate the counterfeit equipment problem.

Myth #2 - Used Equipment is Abused Equipment
Reputable marketers of used Cisco equipment do not sell their goods "as is." All offerings are fully refurbished to ensure they are as close to original condition and performance as possible. Buyers should only deal with used Cisco equipment sources that have a proven track record for longevity, financial stability and outstanding business practices.

Myth #3 - The Equipment You Need is only Available New
More used Cisco equipment is available than ever before. Top providers in the secondary market maintain extensive inventories of the most popular networking equipment. This means the vast majority of requests can be filled on the spot. If not, these used Cisco providers have extensive contacts, enabling them to fulfill requests within days. In contrast, it often takes weeks or months to secure new equipment from manufacturers.

Myth #4 - Third-Party Components = Inferior Products
A third-party component is not necessarily an inferior replacement. For example, Cisco buys its memory from NEC, Samsung and other "third parties" rather than manufacture those products. The memory does not carry a Cisco logo, even when they resell it, so identical items are available directly from the memory manufacturer. Purchasing accessories like memory directly from the "third party" source may reduce costs as much as 80 percent. A knowledgeable used Cisco market provider helps identify these savings opportunities while ensuring all "third party" components are, in fact, high-quality equipment.

Myth #5 - Used Cisco Equipment Comes With No Warranty
In 2004, NHR introduced the industry's first standard, one-year overnight replacement warranty on every used Cisco equipment purchase. Since then, many other players in the used Cisco market have followed suit, surpassing the warranties offered by many OEMs.

Myth #6 - Technical Support is Not Available
Leading suppliers of used Cisco equipment offer both pre- and post-sale technical support from certified technicians. In most cases, these experts test up to 100 pieces of used Cisco networking gear each day, giving them more real-world experience than even most OEM technicians.

Clearly, it's time to dispel the myths and forge past the FUD about the used Cisco market to view this growing segment as a viable and reliable alternate source of networking equipment.