4 min read
Your Hardware Is Yours: Why License Agreements Don't Control the Secondary Market
Eric Sommers: 04.13.2026
Networking Solutions
2 min read
$679,699 saved. Zero Catalyst Center licensing fees. One hospital network refresh.
Most healthcare IT network executives assume that a 50% VAR discount is the best they can do on their Cisco network refresh. However, a recent...
17 min read
Is the Cisco Secondary Market Legal, Safe, and Reliable?
Eric Sommers: 03.12.2026
If you’ve purchased network hardware before, you’ve heard it. “Buying from the grey market is dangerous.” “You won’t have a valid license.” “You...
2 min read
Quit Blinking at Me!!
Eric Sommers: 02.19.2026
Is the .gif above what it feels like when you look at your Meraki dashboard?!?!
4 min read
Why Companies Should Think Twice Before Adopting Catalyst Center for Access-Layer Switches
Eric Sommers: 02.18.2026
Why Companies Should Think Twice Before Adopting Catalyst Center for Access-Layer Switches
4 min read
Mitigate Security Risk By Design
Eric Sommers: 01.15.2026
We continue to see software updates breaking networks. This has always been an issue, so why do we keep doing it? Bad data.... Software updates are...
8 min read
AI in Networking
Eric Sommers: 12.01.2025
What an explosion we’ve seen with Artificial Intelligence (AI)! My initial scope for this article was to explain how AI works for network management...
2 min read
Do You Need UPoE?
Eric Sommers: 09.17.2025
Did you know that access points can behave differently depending on how much power they are receiving? 👈 To jump to the AP tables, click your OEM
6 min read
Cisco Smart Licensing: Disabling Smart Agents for Enhanced Control
Eric Sommers: 11.19.2024
Cisco’s Smart Licensing has sparked ongoing debate—impacting how businesses manage hardware, software, and licensing policies. As Cisco shifts gears,...
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6 min read
Cisco Catalyst: Understanding Cloud Monitoring vs. Cloud Management
Eric Sommers: 10.28.2024
Cisco has been making significant changes to its Digital Network Architecture (DNA) offerings, particularly with the rebranding of DNA Center to...
7 min read
Cisco Catalyst Center vs. the Meraki Dashboard
Eric Sommers: 10.07.2024
DNA Center has been rebranded to Catalyst Center In today’s fast-paced networking world, managing complex systems is no longer just about using the...
3 min read
Understanding the Differences: Network Essentials vs Network Advantage
Eric Sommers: 07.01.2024
Welcome back everyone! This blog is going to quickly outline the differences between Network Essentials and Network Advantage to hopefully help you...