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Cisco and Black & Decker go head-to-head in the medium-workload space
It was with great anticipation that I unboxed two new routers in the lab a few days ago. Both Cisco and Black & Decker had sent me their best entrants in the hotly contested medium-workload router market. Both had promised the sun, the moon, and the skies above, claiming that their product was simply the best available. I was anxious to put these claims to the test.
Cisco's entry was the 3825 ISR, designed to provide a large number of features in a compact and affordable footprint. Indeed, the features list of the 3825 reads like a wish list: modular chassis, wirespeed performance at up to half-T3 rates, support for 90 different modules, integrated routable gigabit Ethernet ports, PoE options, four high-speed WAN interface cards, and more. In addition, up to 2,000 VPN tunnels can be run through the 3825, and there's even voice support for up to 168 IP phones. That's a lot to ask from a little box.
On the other hand, Black & Decker's Firestorm 12 Amp EVS 1/2-inch Plunge Router was no slouch. Sporting a 12-amp high-performance motor, support for both quarter-inch and half-inch collets, electronic variable speed control, and - possibly the most important - an all-metal plunge suspension, the Firestorm is certainly well-equipped. Color me impressed.
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