CISCO SR520-FE-K9 Secure Router 1 x 10/100Mbps WAN Ports 4 x 10/100Mbps LAN Ports

Pros: I bought this while doing my CCNA training. Awesome router. iOS, Cisco quality, great features.

Cons: Default config stopped the wan from getting a DHCP address, which seemed weird but a few commands later and I was off and running. Though not intended, it worked out since I was working on my troubleshooting. :-)

Pros: Completely configurable: This is not your typical consumer, grade router. Rackmounts provided. Two 100BT cables provided. Virtual LANs in one box. RS232 configuration cable provided.

Cons: The CCA (i.e. Cisco Configuration Assistant) GUI has major holes and is prone to lock-up. You MUST (108pt bold font) have an RS-232 port on your computer to completely configure the device. Does not run off a single 12VDC supply for battery backup systems. It took me a week to get an initial setup going (I write multi-threaded real-time software, device drivers, and design analog/digital integrated circuits; this cooked my brain for a week). Weak documentation.

Other Thoughts: The average small-business network administrator might not want to buy this unless they really know what they are doing.

Pros: Solid as a rock and rack mountable.
Runs the latest secure Cisco OS so the functionality is on par with devices that are four times the cost.
The switchports are managable as you would expect in IOS so you can configure multiple routed interfaces and Vlans.

Cons: No access to the unit from the standard GUI management tools that most are becoming dependent on such as PDM or SDM.

Other Thoughts: This is a great unit for technical consultants or trained IT personnel to install in managed SMB, SoHo, or remote edge environments. We use these for many of our remote edge locations in this manner: a small 6U cabinet with a PDU, UPS, 24 port switch and one of these little routers pre-configured with an ipsec tunnel to the corporate net. We call it the LAN in a box ;) and it is perfect for the application. The previous reviewer is a victim of a narrow mindset which forces certain individuals to believe that every product should be designed specifically for them. This device is not for the office manager who handles the IT role in an SMB but for IT professionals who understand and need the functionality of the device.

Pros: Low Heat.

Cons: Setup software only available via download from Cisco. Time consuming to find, install, and use. When it didn't work well, tech support didn't even know how to use it! We had to put in another router just so they could remote desktop to do setup.

Other Thoughts: Unless you plan to be CCNA certified, this is NOT for the small business admin who occationally make changes. It is NOT even for the installer who rarely works with this level of router. We just wanted a router that was a step up in quality and function from a typical consumer router. This is not it. It may function very well if you could ever get it set up properly.