It goes without saying that your business currently runs using some sort of network. That network must be run using a router of some kind. One of the most popular router manufacturers is Cisco Systems. Cisco Systems is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufacturers, and sells networking equipment. One important addition to any router is a high-speed WAN interface card. My company recently upgraded to the Cisco HWIC-1GE-SFP WAN Interface Card offered by Cisco (sorry for all of the jumbled letters and numbers. That’s honestly what it’s called). And it has made a world of difference in our network. So, what is a high-speed WAN interface card (HWIC)? They are components that allow devices to easily connect to your business’s network. The HWIC-1GE-SFP WAN Interface Card, specifically, is designed to offer great speeds and higher port density than previous Cisco WAN Interface Cards. It is a single-wide HWIC with one Small Form Pluggable (SFP) slot which can be populated with Cisco copper and optical Gigabit Ethernet SFPs to provide 1-port Gigabit Ethernet connectivity on all Cisco Integrated Services Routers. This interface card specifically is supported only on the Cisco 3800 series of routers, which is important to keep in mind, and is what my office currently utilizes. This interface card is also designed for low-cost, high-speed, and long-distance connectivity for all Cisco Integrated Services Routers, as well as an upgrade form Fast Ethernet. It is meant to be used to enhance your interoffice connectivity so that you can avoid going through expensive leased lines. I wasn’t given a very large budget for interface cards for my office’s routers, so I when I was searching for interface cards to use, I had to always be consciously thinking about the budget I had and how to not go over it. The best way I found was to look at refurbished interface cards. These, I found through a lot of research, work just as well as new interface cards, but are generally offered at a fraction of the cost of new ones. What better way is there to save money? And, the interface cards I got for my company’s routers were backed by both an excellent warranty and technical support if I ever need it. This is something to always keep an eye out for, as some non-reputable companies will not offer you these benefits. In fact, that’s one really easy way to tell if a company can be trusted or not. If the company stands by its products 100 percent, chances are, it’s a reputable company. One benefit to buying a refurbished interface card that I hadn’t thought of before was how good for the environment it is. Companies like the one I went through to get my interface cards, take old cards, refurbish them, and then resell them. So, when I bought my refurbished interface cards, I helped keep old ones in working condition and out of a landfill. It’s kind of a cool feeling. My company’s HWIC-1GE-SFP Interface Cards have made an excellent addition to our network. They have enhanced our interoffice connectivity greatly, and I am completely satisfied with them.
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WAN, Cisco, Interface cards, HWIC,
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