Is Your Cisco Equipment Genuine?

A few news articles this week reminded me that the problem of counterfeit network equipment is still with us. Companies like Cisco Systems, for example, have seen fake copies of their routers and switches sold to unsuspecting consumers (even government agencies).

Besides the legit businesses losing sales, the folks purchasing these products are also victims. Imitation network gear is more likely to break down sooner, run slower and have more security holes. Is there an easy to way to tell whether your gear is genuine or fake? Not really, unfortunately. Consumers should take care to purchase only from reputable outlets.
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