If you have an MPLS network, then you need solid routers. You may use Cisco, Juniper or Adtran.
Have you discovered open source and the Linux operating system? I don’t often tout a particular company, but routers are costly pieces of hardware and there are some new options that are worth exploring. Why? Because you can obtain far better functionality at a lower price.
Vyatta is a player in this space worth looking into. They provide fully supported software that runs on a Linux box to provide you with powerful router functionality. Using off the shelf x86 hardware, their software has proven to outperform Cisco in independent testing.
For example, using a 1-2 core processor, Cisco 2800 series performance for $1,000. Or how is Cisco ASA 5510 performance for $1,200?
Using a 3-4 core x86 processor, Cisco 3800 performance for $1,120. Or Cisco 7200 performance for $1,500.
And this is for a fully supported product that has a track record. LAN routing throughput has twice the performance at half the price. All, with 3x the route capacity at 1/4 the price.
If you are open to Linux, this is a company worth checking out.
