ISCW focuses on router features, so after the discussion of features and feature sets in the previous post, we next need to look at the routers that can support these feature sets. Of course, doing an exhaustive search takes a lot of time, so I've decided to list the platforms supported, according to the feature navigator, for the three feature sets I mentioned in the last post - both for 12.4 mainline and 12.4T. They you can search for your favorites.

While searching, I was paying particular attention to some of the popular cheaper routers that we've discussed here in the past. In particular, I was looking at 2500, 2600, 2600XM, 3640, 800's (837/877 just because of some earlier posts), and 1801/1841 to look at some more current routers for perspective.

For review from some of the earlier posts, here are some of the reasons I'm looking at these models.

• The 2600XM's support later IOS versions, while the 2600 non-XM's don't.
• The 3620 doesn't support the later IOS's either, but the 3640 does support a little later versions (12.4 mainline), and the 3640 does have some price advantages in the used market these days.
• Finally, the 800 series, to my surprise frankly, runs the same old IOS as the other platforms - and they have a cheaper list price than most other router models.

So, to net it out for these models, here's a table that lists the model, the feature sets it supports (amongst the 3 I've looked at), and IOS version. For reference, in the table, I'll number the feature sets as follows. And as a reminder from the last posting, all three support a wide range of ISCW features, except that the first one listed below doesn't support IPS:

1) IP/FW/IDS/ Plus IPSEC 3DES

2) Advanced IP Services

3) Advanced Security

So, what does this mean for platform choices to support ISCW? Well, you can't use the oldest/cheapest models like 2500's and 2610 non-XMs. You get a pretty good deal for features/price with the 2600XM series. Noting that you're only missing IPS with the first feature set, you can still go with the relatively good price/performance of the 3640. And some 800 series models (877 above) support all the ISCW features (at least the ones I researched). So, we've got some good options, although the cheapest options are probably still over $100 used per router.

(BTW, I'll get to the pricing down the road, once I collect requirements from all 4 exams and start to build some sample equipment lists.)

So, where did I miss something? What'd I leave out? Do your usual job of helping me scrub this stuff, and we'll all benefit. Thanks folks!

Oh yeah, here's the list of models per feature set/version:

12.4 IP/FW/IDS/ Plus IPSEC 3DES

12.4T IP/FW/IDS/ Plus IPSEC 3DES

12.4 Advanced IP Services

12.4T Advanced IP Services

12.4 Advanced Security

12.4T Advanced Security