When it comes time to spend the $$ for your next bunch of lab gear, it may be a bit tough to decide to spend the money. Some friends and family may be against it, 
others for it. It may take more than you’d budgeted to get the lab you want.
The prices quoted on this page serve two purposes. First, the prices can be useful as a planning tool when developing your own build list – the list of what you’ll buy for your lab. Second, it shows over time how devices move from being too expensive for most people for home labs, to becoming more cost effective.
| Caution |
Certskills Price Estimation Rules |
- Do not expect to pay the same price as is listed here – these are estimates to help you plan
- Pay attention to RAM/Flash on routers
- Pay attention to particulars of that model of device, eg, 1720’s require a power brick
- Shop resellers as well, because you can learn a lot from them even when you don’t buy
- Shop resellers as well, because many offer package deals (with cables, shipping, etc) that may be better than auctions for each device
|
- Use only eBay.com
- Use prices listed as “buy it now”, rather than if auctioned through bidding
- Take samples of prices on 3 different weeks, and average those prices
- Throw out seeming aberrations
- Look at routers with at least as much RAM/Flash as listed in the tables below
- Use USA prices only
- Include router WICs and NMs (removable cards) as listed in the table below
- Ignore shipping cost
- Ignore cables
- Ignore installed IOS on routers (but not on switches)
|
Router Price History
| Model |
Min RAM/ Flash
for pricing exercise |
Feb 08 |
Feb 09 |
May 10 |
May 11 |
| 2501 + Eth transceiver |
16/16 |
$45 |
$45 |
$50 |
$75 |
| 2610 + WIC-2T |
64/16 |
$125 |
$110 |
$120 |
$95 |
| 1721 + WIC-2T |
96/32 |
no data |
$110 |
$90 |
$105 |
| 2610XM + WIC-2T |
192/48 |
$250 |
$200 |
$185 |
$200 |
| 3640 NM-1E2W + WIC-2A/S |
128/32 |
$200 |
$210 |
$125 |
$175 |
| 3640 NM-1FE2W + WIC-2T |
128/32 |
no data |
$300 |
$290 |
$210 |
| 1760 + WIC-2T |
160/32 |
$250 |
$225 |
$125 |
$110 |
| 1841 + WIC-2T |
192/64 |
no data |
no data |
$450 |
$550 |
| 1710 + VPN |
64/16 |
$80 |
$90 |
$45 |
$40 |
| 837 |
64/16 |
$175 |
$70 |
$110 |
$85 |
| 857 |
64/20 |
no data |
no data |
$320 |
$180 |
| 877 |
18/28 |
$400 |
$400 |
$500 |
$250 |
Switch Price History
| Model |
Feb 08 |
Apr 09 |
May 10 |
May 11 |
| 2900XL |
$50 |
$40 |
$30 |
$20 |
| 2950 Standard |
$150 |
$70 |
$75 |
$50 |
| 2950 Enhanced |
$250 |
$125 |
$115 |
$115 |
| 2960 LAN Lite |
no data |
$500 |
$400 |
$150 |
| 2960 LAN Base |
no data |
no data |
$425 |
no data |
| 3550 Standard |
$600 |
$210 |
$250 |
$150 |
| 3550 Enhanced |
$600 |
$210 |
$290 |
$300 |