What You Need To Know When Buying Used Hardware

Refurbished network hardware is the latest thing for hip IT managers who consider themselves "in the know". The used equipment is often renovated by various resellers and integrators, reset and error free. They are then sold in the secondary market at up to 90% off of list price. Products are available even in the most sophisticated and obscure models, and often come with a warranty that supersedes even that of the original manufacturer.

How is the hardware refurbished?

Networking products usually pass a grueling inspection, upgrade and update checklist. This includes testing under a variety of conditions to ensure that electronics, connectivity ports, memory configuration, firmware/software and electrical components perform to standards.

What about the warranty of a refurbished hardware appliance?

Most resellers offer a minimum warranty of three months. It varies with the policy of the supplier. Extended warranty up to two years can be availed from some retailers.

What to look out for when buying refurbished?

There is a growing concern in the industry surrounding fake equipment. Anyone who has taken a stroll down Manhattan's Canal Street lately has no doubt become aware of the thriving market for fake Rolexes, Luis Vuitton hand bags and the like. This phenomenon has recently infiltrated the network hardware market. These fakes, often referred to in the industry as, "Chisco" (fake Cisco products originating in China), are popping up more and more. Cisco Systems is the largest provider of IT telephony equipment in the world, and account for some 80% of all used equipment sales worldwide. This enormous popularity has made them the obvious target for such fake product reproduction.

It helps to have a few tools to protect yourself from fraud. Rule 1 when shopping for used equipment is to be wary of suppliers from China. Historically, most of these fakes have originated somewhere in China. So be careful when dealing with a Chinese suppliers. Try to deal with a reputable supplier and develop a relationship. It helps to look for quality business certifications such as "ISO 9001" and others when choosing a reseller.
When using online auctions, feedback is king! Make sure you deal exclusively with resellers who have significant positive feedback from multiple people. Take a quick peek at the actual responses and confirm that they in-fact come from unique sources and not all the same person. People have been known online, to buy large inexpensive quantities from one another to essentially stuff the ballot box and artificially flood the others feedback score.

Who are some of the leading companies in the refurbished hardware market?

There are many resellers, integrators, and VAR's (value added reseller) all competing for your business. These organizations offer a full suite of services for the IT customer. In this model, relationships are formed between the salesperson and customer. The sales cycle can last anywhere from 5 minutes to 1 year. The customer will usually disclose all relevant information regarding their project or current network configuration. Educated sales people here will assist the customer to make decision about what product or products might best solve their particular business needs. These providers will often offer integration services as well, helping the customer to install the new equipment into their existing set-up. A prime example of this type of sale would be Digital warehouse (www.digitalwarehouse.com). DW is a certified NY based full service supplier of refurbished network hardware. Their mission is "reducing the cost of network infrastructure", and that's exactly what they do. With a rigorous reconditioning and testing process coupled with a warranty program that rivals anyone else's in the industry, they allow you to feel safe and secure that you are getting quality second hand hardware at a great price.

What is the difference between refurbished hardware and used hardware?

Refurbished hardware are renovated, reset and fully tested. The term "used hardware" is often used synonymously with refurbished hardware in this industry. However; on occasion, particularly in online auctions, the term "used", may also mean that it has not been tested or reconditioned in any way. Under such circumstances it is preferential to inquire about the specifics before purchasing under the title "used".

Are there any other price advantages associated with refurbished hardware?

Absolutely! You can expect to save anywhere form 30 - 90% off list price when buying used. Traditionally people would shy away from used equipment because of the inherent risk that it presented. However, with current competition in the secondary market resellers have raised their quality standards. They now provide guarantee's that outlast the original warranty given when the unit was new.

What does all this mean to you?

This means that most of the risk formerly associated with buying hardware used has been eliminated. With a little bit of knowledge and a touch of common sense you can now enjoy massive discounts on IT equipment, stress free! Making reconditioned, the new way to go for hip IT professionals everywhere.

How to Search For Computer Repair Tools With the Best Deal Through Internet

Computer have played an important role in our daily life. Most of us use computers everyday in our work place as well as for our studies. Besides, we use computers to surf the internet to obtain the latest news. When our computers break down, it is indeed time-consuming for us to send our computers to the specialists to fix the problems. In fact, we can repair the computers on our own with the right repair tools immediately. We can also keep our computers at good condition with some useful tools.

Nowadays, there are many repair tools available in the market. They are customized to fix the problems arise from both hardware and software. Different tools have different functions. Some software tools enable us to restore software systems while some allow us to analyze the hardware components and troubleshoot the problems when the operating system is not functioning. If you are facing hardware problems, after identifying your needs, you can start searching around to look for necessary tools such as pliers, special screwdrivers, ribbon cables, etc. These tools can assist you to repair and replace hardware components easily. Besides these common tools, there are also some special items available in the market to fix problems related to memory modules, jumpers, hard drives, on-board resistors, and so on. At the same time, you can find some tools which are meant for maintenance.

We don't send our "problematic" computers to the specialists because we need to save cost. Same principle applies to the computer repair tools. We need to put in some effort and time to look for cheap items but with good quality. Although we can obtain all the repair kits from the reputable computer stores, the prices offered might not be the lowest. In order to get the best deal, you are advised to obtain the kits from internet. There are many online shops which offer great discounts to the online shoppers. The only risk you may face is you may get fake products. Some unethical online shops like to trap the buyers by selling low quality products.

In order to reduce your financial risk, you are advised to do your homework before making your purchasing decision. It is a must for you to read the users' review carefully so that you are able to look for reliable suppliers. It will be good if you can get recommendation from someone you know. After knowing the quality of different tools, you should then compare the prices from one online supplier to another. By doing thorough comparison, you will be able to grab the best deal easily. By knowing the products more, you will be able to determine whether it is worthwhile for you to invest on the particular kits or not.

To sum up, searching for the right repair tools is not hard. You just need to apply the right strategy.

IT Hardware Maintenance: Protecting Device Performance

Business Information Technology (IT) systems require specific care to remain reliable throughout its use. The volume of data storage demands on hardware continues to grow at a rapid speed. Maintenance is imperative for securing all sensitive business data and hardware performance.

Dust, electrical fields, and extreme temperatures are dangerous to a hardware device, as they interfere with the performance of any hardware utilized for business processes. Heat, extreme cold, and humidity cause components to overheat or acquire moisture. Electrical fields from items such as magnets should be kept away from all devices. Damaged cables prevent hardware from communicating with other devices. Dust gets into the storage mechanism as well as other components, directly affecting the cooling fans ability to keep internal parts at the appropriate temperature.

All of the mentioned elements can be devastating to business systems running important daily processes. Basic IT hardware maintenance entails removing dust from all devices, keeping them in a temperature controlled room, checking connections, and ensuring no items with magnetic fields are near the equipment.

IBM Storage: Equipment Preservation Practice

Caring for IBM storage devices is not difficult if the time is taken to learn appropriate maintenance procedures. Cleaning is required to keep a storage device properly maintained, and basic cleaning of all system parts should always be a priority. Defragmentation applications consolidate data files in one space to improve speed and reliability of data. Windows operating systems provide this tool; however, others are also available to suit varying needs. Disk scanning may also be performed to fix any problems residing on the storage medium.

Every business needs to have a firewall installed to ensure all data is secure and not penetrable from outside sources. Virus applications prevent malicious programs from gaining access to sensitive business data. These applications are tools any business can use to increase the dependability of their most pertinent storage hardware. Many equipment providers also offer their own maintenance contract, leaving all critical servicing to the experts.

IBM storage comes in many forms, including traditional disk, NAS, SAN, and tape storage. Data may be stored on disk, either in a magnetic or optical fashion. This is typically in the form of an external or internal hard drive. It is the most traditional method for saving data from various sources throughout a company.

Network Attached Storage, or NAS, allows data access over a network and operates much like a file server. A Storage Area Network or SAN operates as a dedicated access point for information consolidation. SAN setups make it easier for servers to access devices, such as disk arrays and tape libraries. A business may choose tapes for backups or other data storage processes, as tape drives perform all writing and reading functionality to the storing mechanism, and are a less expensive way to store extremely large amounts of data. Every device requires the same basic IT hardware maintenance.

Additional recommendations may be made by the manufacturer to ensure proper care. If these guidelines are not followed in combination with basic computer maintenance procedures, performance may decrease or the component will quit functioning altogether.

An IBM storage device is an indispensable component to businesses. IT hardware maintenance, such as proper cleaning, increases the life of this equipment and provides reliable operation.