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From: michaels@hplabsb.UUCP (Robert Michaels)
Newsgroups: net.dcom
Subject: Re: Cisco Systems and dealing with small companies
Message-ID: <3653@hplabsb.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 11-Aug-86 17:40:46 EDT
Article-I.D.: hplabsb.3653
Posted: Mon Aug 11 17:40:46 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 12-Aug-86 17:07:23 EDT
References: <890@bu-cs.UUCP> <485@hplabsc.UUCP> <7020@utzoo.UUCP>
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Laboratories
Lines: 41
Summary: some info about cisco systems...

In article <7020@utzoo.UUCP>, henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer) writes:
> > Yes, I would investigate Cisco, look at their quality control,
> > service, etc.  However, I would do the same with any manufacturer,
> > regardless of size. Remember DEC's failing RA80s? and how DEC
> > continues to deny that there's any problem?...
> 

Here is some info about the design and construction of the csico hardware:

   The box is mulibus unit with a 9 slot card cage. All the sheet metal
   including card cage are cisco designed and built. The power supply and
   cooling blower are OEM.

   The card cage contains a cpu card, ethernet card and 2 (16 line) terminal
   interface cards. All but the ethernet interface card are desgined and
   built by cisco. The ethernet card can be either interlan or 3Com. 

   The cpu card and terminal line cards are farily simple straight forward
   design. As far as I can tell he uses no exotic ic's that couldn't be 
   replaced by a different vendor. The cpu consists of a 68000, 1 Mb of
   RAM and room for 4 byte wide EPROMS. The terminal line card uses 8 2681s
   which are fairly well known uarts.

   I don't know who make the power supply. The blower is some German built
   unit which apparently can move lots of air. It is quite noisy, but it
   was designed for use in farily warm environments like wiring closets.

It is my opinion (for whatever its worth) that cisco hardware will not
have any significant problems. Their service attitude is they will send
you a new board if a problem occurs. I think that most corporations and 
universities can live with that policy.

I have heard, although I'm not certain, that cisco has a farily flexible
policy regarding source code. I'm not sure what it is but it is supposed
to be possible for most customers to obtain a copy given the usual 
restrictions.

- Robert Michaels  ( michaels@hplabs )

DISCLAIMER: Please understand that these are my opinions and not that
	    of Hewlett-Packard Corporation.